Why Does Local News Matter?
The health of our democracy is directly tied to the health of our local-media system. And right now, that system is falling far short of its full potential.
Corporate chains and hedge funds have taken over thousands of news outlets across the country, hollowing out their newsrooms and stripping communities of vital sources of information. Despite the efforts of many hard-working journalists, our communities are being bombarded by misinformation and clickbait, with a shortage of local news that actually meets people’s needs.
Meanwhile, independent newsrooms, nonprofits, small publishers and ethnic media outlets — the outlets best equipped to meet communities’ needs — are left to struggle over a meager pool of resources. The digital age has upended long-time funding streams for local news, like advertising. And while philanthropic investments to support journalism are crucial, they can’t address the core market issues plaguing our media system.
This is a structural problem that calls for bold policy solutions. That’s why we’re working with media leaders, community leaders and policymakers across the country to advance a new vision for local news, one that puts the public interest over corporate profits.
After all, public-interest journalism and civic information are true public goods, not just commercial commodities. For the sake of our democracy, we need policy change that puts local news back in the hands of the people.
The Media Power Collaborative’s Work on Local-News Policy
A core vehicle for this work is the Media Power Collaborative (MPC). Made up of more than 250 media leaders, community advocates and researchers, the MPC is a national coalition supported by Free Press and Free Press Action. We’re working to build power and advance policy change to support local news and civic information. We can start this work at the state level while laying the groundwork for a national movement.
The MPC hosts webinars on local news policy, sends regular updates to its mailing list on the biggest developments across the country, and provides resources and analysis. We’re also organizing working groups at the state level from coast to coast so that community and media leaders have a seat at the table in local-news policy debates.
