Viewers Are Losing Access to Local News
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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 locally-based news sources. For the residents of these counties, the traditional sources of community knowledge—from school board decisions and local elections to neighborhood crime reports and infrastructure issues—have simply gone silent.
The situation is barely better in an additional 1,524 counties that are now down to just a single local news source—often a weekly newspaper operating with limited staff and resources. While these lone outlets valiantly attempt to cover their communities, they cannot provide the comprehensive, daily scrutiny that multiple, competing newsrooms once offered.
The result for viewers is profound: An estimated one in seven Americans, nearly 50 million people, now live with either limited or no access to local news. For them, the loss means:
Less informed voting: Critical information about local candidates and ballot measures is no longer readily available.
Reduced government accountability: Without local reporters watching, it's easier for public officials to operate without scrutiny.
Fewer community connections: Local news often serves as the "town square," sharing stories of local accomplishments, events, and shared challenges.
The decline represents a growing information void, leaving vast swaths of the country without the dedicated local journalists who connect and empower their communities.
