One Big Thing: Have you recently read a local newspaper?

Recently, the increased readership of national newspapers and online news websites has contributed to the severe decline of local journalism. Just since March, over 60 newsrooms across the country have closed due to budget constraints amid the COVID-19 pandemic. While many larger-scale, national newspapers are able to downsize their staffs, smaller local news organizations are forced to close their doors – often permanently. This trend was in motion far before COVID-19 but the pandemic’s effects have expedited the death of local news. Local Journalism is an integral part of a functioning democracy because of the way that it can address issues that are specific to homegrown situations. In response, some organizations and individuals have funded local journalism but many fear that it will become unsustainably over dependent on charitable giving. Find out more on this subject from Brookings Institute.

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