Local news is the full collection of journalism outlets (including newspapers, radio stations and hyperlocal websites) that serve a specific geographic area with reporting on events and issues that directly impact its residents. It has a vital role in informing citizens about their neighborhoods and government decisions, fostering community identity, and encouraging civic engagement by raising awareness about local problems and solutions.
Compared to national or regional news, which can often be skewed by political interests and agendas, local news focuses on issues that are important to residents’ everyday lives. It prioritizes stories that resonate with citizens and incorporates alternative reporting approaches, like solutions journalism and restorative narratives, to increase trust among readers.
Research shows that local news is a key component of a healthy democracy; it informs citizens, encourages civic engagement, and helps them understand what’s at stake in elections, which in turn can reduce political polarization and hold government accountable. Yet many local news organizations are struggling financially due to declining advertising revenues and competition from digital platforms.
In some cases, the loss of local news has left towns without any coverage at all. For example, in Williamstown, a small college town in rural Berkshire County, Massachusetts, the shuttering of a sister publication to The Boston Globe left the town with no newspaper within 15 miles – a verifiable news desert. That’s when the Williams College Record stepped in, and since 2020 has dedicated its entire Town News section to covering town-related news that matters to its readership.