Abstract
Local news is the lifeblood of communities, informing people what’s going on in their towns and cities. But as media conglomerates consistently gut local journalism jobs and newsrooms across the United States, more of these communities are left without local news coverage to inform their citizens. The dearth of local news coverage is a concern since it is foundational to maintaining democracy and holding civic leaders and politicians accountable. The objective of this study is to fill research gaps in the rapidly changing landscape of local news outlets as it pertains to finding and building sustainable business models for local news. Qualitative and quantitative research looks at a surge of grassroots online news outlets funded in myriad ways—by individuals, businesses, sponsors, and foundations. These outlets are often jump-started by citizens and veteran journalists concerned for the welfare of their communities and what is at stake when local journalism goes away. In particular, this paper looks at the National Trust for Local News, an emerging business model predicated on community buy-in much like a land trust. The implications of this research are twofold: to highlight the importance of local news to build an informed citizenry that is the very fabric of our democracy, and the need for community buy-in when it comes to reshaping the business of local journalism.
Presenters
Naomi KookerAssistant Professor, Communication, Regis College, Massachusetts, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Media, Business, Local News, Journalism, Community, Sustainability, Civic Engagement, Democracy
