Local journalism is a pillar of democracy and unity, but as newspapers fold, communities must rally to protect both information and hope.
My mother tells me that I have always loved to tell stories. From recounting adventures from school to talking about the books I read, I remember wanting to share my ideas. As I entered high school, journalism offered a path to continue telling stories, but not just my own. Speaking with people from around the school pushed me into a newfound interest of sharing others’ stories and understanding how to use my writing as a service to my community.
Most Americans are good at keeping up with the news. Simply turn on the TV or look on social media and you can get a solid sense of what is happening in politics, stock prices, and even relations with international neighbors. However, national legislation can feel far removed from most Americans’ lives, and more often than not, it is local government actions that can have a larger impact on residents. Working with my high school newspaper, for a freelance paper in Minneapolis, and now as an editor for my university’s news section has shown me the vulnerability of local journalism in the United States and the necessity of keeping this precious platform alive.
It is no secret that local journalism in the U.S. is at one of its most vulnerable in years. With an average of two newspapers closing per week[1] and with fewer Americans than ever overall following their local news[2], it may seem that local news is no longer relevant to most people. Even if local policies may have a more direct impact, national news has the cultural grasp of flashier headlines, and many community papers are finding that it is too expensive to maintain a regular circulation of local news. However, I have seen the power of the local community, and I know how imperative it is to maintain an accessible source of information that ensures that the community knows how they can work together.
Fundamentally, journalism offers more than just information. Access to local news informs residents and enables them to be more educated and frequent voters. Similarly, by getting people involved in civic engagement, local journalism encourages people to hold their governments to a higher standard of transparency and action…and can reduce polarization.
My high school newspaper was my first foray into the world of journalism. While it only reached my small school community of about 600 people, including faculty and staff, I quickly learned that the community relied on the paper to learn about school events, sports results, and other relevant news at the school. The Minneapolis paper that I freelanced for had a larger reach of a few thousand people, but it never had the scope to discuss large-scale issues like access to healthcare or education. I wrote feature articles about people or organizations that were doing something good for Southwest Minneapolis. From a food truck selling East African chai to an art school for people with disabilities, I had the opportunity to promote courageous and dedicated people.
This is what local journalism is all about. These stories would never be reported on without an editor who believed in emphasizing wonderful community actions and an audience who was interested in learning about their neighbors and fellow residents. Having a firsthand account of the diversity of stories that make up local news showed me the vulnerability of knowledge that local news provides. Loss of community stories comes with the death of publishing freedom. It is vital that all community members — whether that be in a school, organization, or city — engage with both positive and impactful current events in their spaces. Seeing other neighbors reading and caring about what you care about and what fosters a stronger community. Knowledge cultivates connection, and resilient communities are driven by connection.
Without robust local news sources, residents can also miss vital information about governmental work that can have direct consequences on their lives. Unfortunately, with rising costs of printing and the increasing popularity of social media to get information, local journalism in America is dying, and with it, opportunities for regular people to be involved in politics.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the cities surrounding my university campus. Tufts University’s campus straddles two cities, Somerville and Medford, with Medford having no proper print newspaper of its own. The Tufts Daily fills that gap, offering a weekly print paper and daily online publication with news about Medford politics and the community. When I write articles about policies or new laws that the Medford city council aims to pass, I constantly hear residents talk about the lack of transparency. Medford is a city that cares about and protects minority rights, from passing legislation that ensures that police will not help ICE arrest residents to updating their human rights ordinance to better promote cultural events and diversity. Even so, many immigrants fear speaking with police officials or emergency services because they worry that they are not protected in the community. The school newspaper is one of the only ways that Medford residents can hear about what the city council is doing to help them.
It is disheartening to know that as local papers find printing too expensive, information falls through the cracks, and with it, a sense of community fades. On top of the terrifying national campaign against our immigrant communities, our immigrant neighbors in Medford have been isolated by the news desert in the city. Even with students trying to promote relevant city council actions, without a dedicated paper servicing the city, residents feel uninformed and unprotected, and they become disinterested in politics. Ultimately, a lack of interest in politics tells journalists that their words aren’t valuable, leading to further closures and a cycle of knowledge falling by the wayside.
Fundamentally, journalism offers more than just information. Access to local news informs residents and enables them to be more educated and frequent voters[3]. Similarly, by getting people involved in civic engagement, local journalism encourages people to hold their governments to a higher standard of transparency and action. Finally, comprehensive local news sources can reduce polarization by offering residents opportunities to see and share non-partisan views or to understand other perspectives[4].
Social media has become an effective tool for sharing news, and its ability to spread information to many people quickly should be utilized. While it can share abridged versions of national news stories for quick digestion, there hasn’t been the same investment in local news. These quick news snapshots provide an opportunity for people to promote local stories to their peers and neighbors. Too often, social media is used as a breeding ground for a quick dump of information to enrage and polarize people, but widespread virtual networks also serve as a platform for spreading hope and joy. All of the Minneapolis organizations that I highlighted in my articles published their stories online, garnering support and interest from residents across the city. Local journalism brings a community together, and ultimately acts as a thread to tie histories and futures together. Whether it be archival news stories or investigative journalism to bring a hidden story to light, journalism is imperative for understanding a community’s past and knowing what drives its members. Having the past available to us is the foundation we need to improve communities, so that we can build on previous successes and learn from old mistakes.
Journalism shows people that their voices matter and that their stories are being preserved, not just for the current generation, but for future generations of people who want to learn from the past. Young people who learn about the world from social media are in a unique position to engage with their local communities, and they can be a catalyst in bringing unheard stories to the forefront of community conversation. In the face of twisted truth and hate emanating from the loudest platforms, local journalism can be the small source of joy and unity that can spark a movement.
Image Credit: Mark Wolfe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Notes:
[1]Sara Fischer, “One-Third of U.S. Newspapers as of 2005 Will Be Gone by 2024,” Axios, November 16, 2023, https://www.axios.com/2023/11/16/newspapers-decline-hedge-funds-research.
[2]Elisa Shearer et al., “Americans’ Changing Relationship with Local News,” Pew Research Center, May 7, 2024,https://www.pewresearch.org/2024/05/07/attention-to-local-news/.
[3]Ruby Belle Booth, “Local News Helped Young People Get Ready to Vote in 2020,” Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (Tisch College at Tufts University, September 9, 2021), https://circle.tufts.edu/latest-research/local-news-helped-young-people-get-ready-vote-2020.
[4]Joshua P. Darr, “Does Local News Reduce Polarization?,” Carnegie Corporation of New York, July 14, 2024, https://www.carnegie.org/our-work/article/does-local-news-reduce-polarization/.
Works Cited:
Booth, Ruby Belle. “Local News Helped Young People Get Ready to Vote in 2020.” Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. Tisch College at Tufts University, September 9, 2021. https://circle.tufts.edu/latest-research/local-news-helped-young-people-get-ready-vote-2020.
Darr, Joshua P. “Does Local News Reduce Polarization?” Carnegie Corporation of New York, July 14, 2024. https://www.carnegie.org/our-work/article/does-local-news-reduce-polarization/.
Fischer, Sara. “One-Third of U.S. Newspapers as of 2005 Will Be Gone by 2024.” Axios, November 16, 2023. https://www.axios.com/2023/11/16/newspapers-decline-hedge-funds-research.
Shearer, Elisa, Katerina Eva Matsa, Michael Lipka, Kirsten Eddy, and Naomi Forman-Katz. “Americans’ Changing Relationship with Local News.” Pew Research Center, May 7, 2024. https://www.pewresearch.org/2024/05/07/attention-to-local-news/.
