Local Content Is Good Business for Your Business

Throughout history, residents of smaller communities have relied on local tribunes, gazettes, chronicles, heralds and posts for credible and pertinent news and information.

Sadly, in the past 15 years, more than one quarter of local newspapers have closed or merged with larger media outlets. The disappearance of these publications has left many inner-city, suburban and rural communities high and dry in what is known as “news deserts.” News deserts are areas with limited access to trusted news and information.

In 2012, the Federal Communications Commission defined the topics it considers critical information needs of all U.S. citizens:

• Emergencies and public safety.
• Health.
• Transportation.
• Environment and planning.
• Economic development.
• Civic life.
• Political life.

Struggling newspapers have been bought out and gutted by hedge funds or merged with larger media companies. The staff is cut severely, and newsrooms lose their capacity to address local needs thoroughly and meaningfully. A community can lose its identity and knowledge of self without local journalists providing a mirror to reflect. Integrity suffers, and trust is lost without local perspectives. This is where a breakdown in two of the pillars of democracy can be seen, representation and access to information.

A healthy democracy is one that sees to it that all its citizens are represented and presented with the information that they need to make responsible decisions.

What does representation look like?

One of the beauties of local journalism lies in the importance assigned to the very readers themselves. A local newspaper connects the citizens with some national news and headlines, but one of its more important functions is the legitimizing of local achievements.

An achievement may not be worthy of making national news, but to the residents of the community, even the smallest of victories are worth celebrating. Community members can read the same articles as their neighbors and be unified in their support of their sports teams, schools and businesses. Local residents are also remembered in their life and death in obituaries.

What does access to information look like?

Another important role local newspapers have is informing readers of the issues most likely to affect them. These are issues specific to communities that may go completely unnoticed by larger media sources but are locally significant. The topics covered in the local paper include the weather, events, taxes, zoning, crime, and developments in city and state government.

Keeping the public in the know about the happenings of their community is a crucial part of promoting civic engagement, both individually and collectively. In this way, local journalism serves as an essential democratic force that supports community cohesion and informed political participation.