In Medill’s Latest State of Local News Report, a “Festering, 20-Year-Old Problem” Looms Larger than Ever

In Medill’s latest State of Local News report, a “festering, 20-year-old problem” looms larger than ever

Built into Nieman Lab’s mission is a commitment to be “fundamentally optimistic.” It is challenging to read Medill’s 2025 State of Local News Report and hold onto that optimism. While there are a dozen bright spots rightly celebrated in the report’s recurring feature — from Ken Doctor’s expansion of Lookout Local, to the Hearst-owned Houston Chronicle, to the nonprofit network Deep South Today — those bright spots are pinpricks against a backdro…

Viewers Are Losing Access to Local News

The latest findings from the Medill Local News Initiative's State of Local News report paints a stark picture of how swiftly Americans are losing access to essential local information. The trend of disappearing news outlets is directly impacting the daily lives and civic engagement of tens of millions of people.The report reveals that 213 counties across the United States are now "news deserts", meaning the citizens who live there have zero loca…

State of Local News Report: 40% of local US papers have vanished since 2005, 213 counties have no local outlets, and 200+ papers changed owners in the past year

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Digital startups are a bright spot in the latest ‘State of Local News’ report, but rural areas are lagging

Map via “The State of Local News 2025.” Click here for the interactive version. Finding news in the annual State of Local News report from Northwestern University’ Medill School can be a challenge because, frankly, it’s always the same depressing thing: newspapers keep closing; digital startups are rising, but not by enough to fill the gap; and be sure to tune in again next year, when the situation is likely to be even worse. Still, there are a …