Why some towns lose local news − and others don’t

Why some towns lose local news − and others don’t

Five elements determine which towns lose their papers and which ones beat the odds. Hans Henning Wenk/Getty ImagesWhy did your hometown newspaper vanish while the next town over kept theirs? This isn’t bad luck − it’s a systemic pattern. Since 2005, the United States has lost over one-third of its local newspapers, creating “news deserts” where corruption is more likely to spread and communities may become politically polarized. My research, pub…

Study: Local TV Outpaces Social Media in Breaking News Trust | Radio & Television Business Report

In an increasingly fragmented media environment, Americans continue to place their first bets on local television when news breaks. According to a new report, local TV news remains the leading source for breaking news among U.S. adults, significantly outpacing digital and national broadcast alternatives. Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

What Factors Make or Break Local Newspapers?

Beginning around 2005, community newspapers across the U.S. faced unprecedented financial stresses, which over time forced more than a third to close. While their closures have left communities in vulnerable “news deserts,” they aren’t random. Instead, the reasons smaller newspapers often close fall into a recognizable pattern. In her piece for “The Conversation,” Abby Youran Qin “identifies key drivers − ranging from racial disparity to market …

Why some towns lose local news − and others don’t

by Abby Youran Qin, University of Wisconsin-Madison, [This article first appeared in The Conversation, republished with permission] Why did your hometown newspaper vanish while the next town over kept theirs? This isn’t bad luck − it’s a systemic pattern. Since 2005, the United States has lost over one-third of its local newspapers, creating “news deserts” where corruption is more likely to spread and communities may become politically polarized…

Why we’re making neighborhood zines and what we hope they spark

What happens when journalism shows up on your block, not just in your inbox?That’s one of the questions we’re exploring through our neighborhood zines, which are short, tangible collections of stories, reflections and resources created with and for a specific community. We recently launched our first one on Pittsburgh’s North Side — or Northside, depending on who you ask. (Our style guide uses two words, but we love a neighborhood that sparks pa…

The Death of Small Market News

With all the media companies continuing to chop the bottom line, it feels like small market news is just about dead. I got this email from an FTVLive reader who has ties to North Platte, Nebraska. The station they are talking about is owned by Gray and it sure sounds like they are running the news department on the cheap. Sadly, this same type of story plays out in small markets across the country. At this point, I wonder how much longer will we…