Local news encompasses the full range of media outlets – newspapers, radio, TV and hyperlocal websites – that tell the stories of a local community. It promotes accountability and transparency by holding local officials accountable, informs citizens on matters that affect them, and enables people to connect with their communities.
Most Americans get their local news from a variety of sources, including community organizations and online forums. They also trust their local news organizations to do a good job of reporting on issues that matter. But, as the financial siege facing many local news operations continues to squeeze them, they risk being perceived as providers of generic commodities that only offer an occasional nugget of news that is truly local.
As of 2024, about a third of those who get daily local news from newspapers do so in print, while most (66%) access their local TV news digitally through websites, apps, email or social media platforms. This is a dramatic shift in how people get their local news, which in the past was primarily accessed via traditional broadcast or print.
A number of factors have contributed to the decline of local news, including the rise of digital alternatives, declining advertising revenues, and consolidation among local television and newspaper companies. However, there are signs that people remain interested in local news and that the industry has begun to adapt to new models. Those adaptations will be tested by continued economic challenges and by the need for local news to find ways to engage audiences in ways that are relevant to their lives.
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