David Zalubowsk / AP, file
A pressman pulls a copy of one of the final editions of the Rocky Mountain News off the press in the Washington Street Printing Plant of the Denver Newspaper Agency in Denver on Feb. 26, 2009. The decline of local news in the United States is speeding up despite attention paid to the issue, to the point where the nation has lost one-third of its newspapers and two-thirds of its newspaper journalists since 2005.
Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023 | 2 a.m.
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In a society that seems increasingly willing to buy in to lies, conspiracy theories and shameful distortions of reality, this Thanksgiving we’re grateful for you, our readers.
It might sound like pandering or an empty platitude, but with fewer and fewer Americans paying attention to reliable sources of news and information, it is our readers who give us hope for a better future.
According to a survey released last month by Pew Research Center, only 4 in 10 Americans are closely following what’s happening in their communities and the world nowadays. That’s a 10% decline since 2016, when 51% of U.S. adults followed the news “all or most of the time.”
A significant factor in this phenomenon is the closure of local newspapers, mostly weeklies but a few dailies, across the nation. Numerous academic studies in recent years have shown that when a newspaper closes, civic engagement plummets in a community even if other news sources remain available. This is even true in two-newspaper towns if one closes. Fewer people vote, fewer people run for office, public misinformation surges and overall consumption of all news falls. Even economic activity suffers. Digital news utterly fails to close the gap, according to peer-reviewed studies. Newspapers and the reporting resources they provide enrich civic engagement and help communities thrive.
Simultaneously, the number of Americans who self-identify as almost never paying attention to the news has nearly doubled since 2016, from 5% to 9%. Let that sink in. Nearly 1 out of 10 people you pass on the street has literally no idea what’s happening in the world or in Las Vegas. Those people are prey for demagogues.
Both numbers have been trending in the wrong direction for almost two decades, with predictable consequences. The total estimated circulation of U.S. daily newspapers has declined almost 70% since 1990, according to Pew Research.
Again, digital news has failed to close the information gap by a wide margin. Newspaper readers are a unique and vitally important piece of the magic that makes communities thrive.
As more Americans disengage from traditional news sources with high journalistic standards and ethics, trust in the media is declining precisely because people end up being exposed to more untrustworthy news. Without trust, readers disengage, leading to an epidemic of civic illiteracy that is eroding democracy and newsroom staffing with each passing day.
A 2019 study by George Washington University found that among people who self-identify as being non-newsreaders, fewer than half know the name of their mayor. Fewer than 1 in 5 can name the superintendent or board president of their local school district.
In the end, some local newspapers simply can’t stay afloat.
Most of the newspapers that vanish are in smaller rural and suburban communities that lack other professional sources of local news. The result is that the United States is now home to vast news deserts where there is no daily source of local news. And even in markets with other news sources, including other newspapers, civic engagement declines with every newspaper closure.
People living in those communities who still wish to engage with the news are often forced turn to sources of “infotainment” such as cable news networks, social media rife with misinformation, talk radio, YouTube news channels, podcasts and blogs. While some of these sources can provide well vetted and reliable information, they are also more likely to be sources of fake news and conspiracy theory that can be difficult to separate from verified facts.
That’s why we are so grateful to readers like you who support our robust media landscape here in Las Vegas. Not only do you subscribe and contribute to the financial well-being of local journalism, but by being engaged readers you are transformed into more engaged citizens.You, readers of honest news, are defending democracy by being informed, you’re enriching your community by being engaged and, without any exaggeration, it’s safe to say that citizens like you are what will save this country from transforming into an American nightmare. You, gentle readers, are hope personified.
Globally, it has been shown time and again that democracy fails when the public can’t access a free and flourishing press.
In recognition of these realities, governments around the world are looking for ways to sustain and grow local journalism. Innovative approaches include payroll tax credits to make journalism more financially sustainable and regulation of the tech industry to ensure online platforms can’t profit by appropriating for free the work-product and expense incurred by local newsrooms.
Many of these ideas have been proposed here in the U.S., but Congress has yet to take significant action. So we’re asking you today to contact your local representatives (we print their contact information in the newspaper every other Sunday) and ask them to support policies to sustain local journalism.
One example includes the bipartisan Community News & Small Business Support Act, which provides small businesses with nonrefundable tax credits for money spent advertising in local newspapers and local media. It also provides a refundable tax credit of up to $50,000 for local news sources to hire more local journalists.This plan has a double benefit: it helps local small businesses compete more effectively against online giants like Amazon while also helping to keep local news alive.
The U.S. could also make careers in journalism more attractive and financially sustainable by allowing journalists to claim time in the newsroom toward public interest loan forgiveness service years.
While specific public policies are urgently needed, we know you’re doing your part as a reader to support local journalism today. Please accept our heartfelt appreciation.
And if, like many Americans, you find yourself around the Thanksgiving table arguing with a relative about politics, government or society, consider gifting that relative a subscription to their local newspaper. Many of the perceptions that divide our country can be laid at the feet of organized misinformation campaigns that flood the space when traditional media declines. Exposing more people to responsible media is the cure.
