The health of local news is critical for a functioning democracy. It informs residents, helps them make informed choices and engage with their government by voting, contacting officials or running for office. It also reduces political polarization and holds government accountable. Research shows that when there is a ready supply of quality local news, residents are more likely to be civically engaged in their communities and in society.
Traditionally, when people think of local news they think about newspapers. But in reality, local news includes a broad collection of media outlets that serve geographically defined local markets. These include traditional print, local radio, TV stations and digital-only start-ups. They include websites, mobile apps, podcasts and hyperlocal social media platforms. The focus of this report is on assessing the health of the entire local news ecosystem rather than simply on saving newspapers.
While there is a growing emphasis on the importance of saving newspaper outlets, many local news organizations are thriving and leveraging new technology to meet local information needs. Increasingly, the role of local news is filled by community-based journalism, which prioritizes stories that involve locally known figures or events and is often a collaboration between journalists and residents who contribute to the storytelling process.
The Eudora Times, a project launched by a University of Kansas journalism class in 2018, is an example of this type of local news. The paper, which serves a geographic region in central Kansas that was once home to a booming manufacturing industry, has partnered with local business and nonprofits (such as Spherion, the Visiting Nurses Association, PR Machine Works, DRM Productions, OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital and Mechanics Bank) to connect the past and present of the economy. The newspaper has also used Hearken-generated community engagement to help readers explore the region’s manufacturing history and its future.
