Local news refers to the reporting of events and issues that affect a specific community or geographic area. It fosters a sense of community identity by covering topics that resonate with residents, reflecting their values and culture and addressing their concerns. It also encourages civic engagement and participation by informing citizens about government decisions and public services at the local level.
This type of journalism is a vital component of a healthy democracy; it informs citizens about important issues, encourages civic participation, helps reduce political polarization and increases public trust in the news media. But it is also an industry that faces significant challenges due to declining advertising revenues and competition from social platforms that can impact the depth of coverage.
In Eudora, Kansas, a student newspaper at the University of Kansas is working to revive local news in a town that had been declared a “news desert.” The paper has an extensive and diverse staff and publishes online and in print. In the nearby city of Wausau, Wisconsin, a local newspaper devoted a year to a story about how local residents, city officials and environmentalists worked together to resolve an issue related to contaminated wastewater that had contaminated residential wells.
In general, people who are very attached to their community are more likely to say that they often get news about local traffic, sports, schools and neighborhood issues. Americans ages 65 and older are the most likely group to follow local sports news, while those with young children are twice as likely as those without kids to follow local school news. Those who frequently consume local news about weather are the most satisfied with its quality; 63% of those who get local weather news report being extremely or very satisfied with it.