The Decline of Local Newspapers

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December 10, 2024 by Danny Hastings

A free press is a crucial part of our democracy—so important that it was enshrined in the First Amendment of the Constitution. Once a staple of information, newspapers have been steadily declining and disappearing for decades. There are nearly 6,000 newspapers that publish in the United States and, on average, two shut down every week.¹ Current projections show that by the end of this year, the United States will have lost one-third of the newspapers that it had back in 2005.² What does a community lose when its newspaper folds?

Newspapers often struggle with high production costs, decreased advertising revenue, and declining readership. These compounding factors can lead newspapers to lay off employees or cut back on how frequently they print as cost-cutting measures. Newspapers that once published daily may now print only a few editions per week. Some have shifted to become online-only publications. Other have shuttered altogether. Newspapers have become increasingly reliant on digital advertising to cover their operational costs, with digital ad sales accounting for nearly half of all revenue they take in.³

A shift to consuming news online, intensified by smartphones, has disrupted traditional news outlets like print media. In a 2023 survey by the Pew Research Center, only nine percent of U.S. adults said they turn to print publications often to get their news, compared to 56 percent who said they get their news digitally.⁴ The survey also found that nearly one-third of all young Americans get most of their news online from TikTok.⁵

The Local News Initiative, a project from Northwestern University that tracks local news outlets across the United States, has found that over 1,500 counties have only one local news outlet. More than 200 counties have none at all.⁶ This lack of local news outlets creates “information deserts” that deprive communities of vital information. Typically, when a newspaper shutters, there are no other news outlets—in print or online—that fill the information gap.⁷ Rural and low-income communities are more likely to suffer from a lack of quality news.⁸

“Increasingly, I’m worried that we’re evolving into a nation of journalistic haves and have-nots,” said Penny Abernathy of the Local News Initiative. “That has huge implications for not only our democracy, but for our society.”⁹ Journalists serve as checks on power, bringing accountability and transparency by investigating and reporting on government officials, school board members, and business owners. Their stories spur local governments to act on issues that they may not otherwise address. By reporting the facts, whether good or bad, they strengthen their community’s faith in local leaders and institutions. But in the last two decades, two-thirds of local reporters have lost their jobs.¹⁰ This creates a void of in-depth coverage and quality reporting on relevant topics and pressing issues.

These consequences impact our democracy by enabling “more corruption and irresponsible spending” by local governments and “more straight ticket voting, less competitive elections, and lower turnout” by voters.¹¹ Newspapers keep people informed about the issues their community faces and how their local government functions. They provide updates about upcoming elections, candidates, city ordinances, policing procedures, and educational decisions. When people are aware of what’s going on, they can feel more invested in the success of their community and be more likely to civically engage in it. Conversely, people are less likely to speak out against a policy if they are unaware that it’s being considered by their city council, and they may decide to not vote in a local election if they don’t know about the candidates’ backgrounds or platforms.

The local angle of a story—the voices, opinions, and needs that are important to distinct communities—are lost when news is only available online or through national sources. These types of news can create media echo chambers and increase political partisanship, as they tend to frame stories, for a larger audience, in terms of “this side verses that side.”¹² By highlighting conflict, it becomes difficult to see people, even neighbors, as anything other than the political party they belong to or the candidates they vote for. Online sources are also more susceptible to misinformation and disinformation without the journalistic standards practiced by newspaper journalists, editors, and publishers.

The sense of community that comes from knowing local news—even weekly football scores, marriage announcements, and obituaries—creates a common connection that can’t be easily replicated online or on a national level. “Our paper spoiled us,” said Steve Rader, who lives outside a small, rural community in Texas that lost its newspaper last year. “They did so much work. And it was so colorful and beautiful, and they celebrated our successes and our tough times.”¹³ When asked if the loss of the newspaper felt personal, he replied, “Oh, yes, yes. Yes, that paper was a part of our life.”¹⁴

Discussion Questions

Does your community have a newspaper? (You can find out by exploring the Local News Landscape map from the Local News Initiative.) If so, do you or members of your family regularly read it?
What sources do you get your news from?
What are some benefits of having access to the news online? What are some drawbacks?
Why are local newspapers important to communities?
What do you think should be done to support newspapers and local journalism?

Other Resources

READ the full Local News Initiative report.
WATCH two PBS reports on the subject: How the Loss of Local Newspapers Fueled Political Divisions in the U.S. and The Connections Between Decline of Local News and Growing Political Division.

As always, we encourage you to join the discussion with your comments or questions below.

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Sources

Featured Image Credit: Tom Starkweather/Columbia Journalism Review

[1] Axios: https://www.axios.com/2023/11/16/newspapers-decline-hedge-funds-research

[2] Ibid.

[3] Pew Research Center: https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/fact-sheet/newspapers/

[4] Pew Research Center: https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/fact-sheet/news-platform-fact-sheet/

[5] Pew Research Center: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/11/15/more-americans-are-getting-news-on-tiktok-bucking-the-trend-seen-on-most-other-social-media-sites/

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