A report on local news in the United States revealed that 2,627 weekly publications closed or merged with other papers between 2004 and 2023, with the number of non-daily papers falling from over 7.4 thousand to less than 4.8 thousand in that period. Dailies also saw a decline, with just over 1,200 in publication in 2023. Whilst this is evidently bad news for papers now out of print, the loss of local news also impacts communities reliant upon it.
News deserts: the state of play
News deserts are counties without access to or with very limited access to local news. As the number of local newspapers in publication continues to fall, many smaller, rural communities are left without coverage of their immediate area. Although some companies are attempting to preserve local news, many outlets have been merged, acquired by investors outside the industry, or have dissolved completely.
Impact on the consumer
Local news is overall more trusted than national news, and not only for its impartiality. Looking at U.S. […]