Take this survey about the health and future of local newspapers in the USA

“If you believe that local journalism matters, then an important component of American journalism — the voice and experience of journalists working in local newsrooms across the country — needs to be heard.”

The impact of COVID-19 has had a major effect on much of the news media, especially local newspapers.

Accelerating trends that pre-date the pandemic, analysis by Poynter shows that over 50 newsrooms have closed since the virus hit the United States. Thousands of journalists have been furloughed, had their wages cut, or been laid off.

Given this impact, it’s more important than ever to have an up to date evidence base that can inform discussions about the future of local news.

Because of this, in partnership with the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University, I have launched a new survey asking those working at local newspapers to tell us about their jobs, how they’re changing, and their hopes for the future.

Although coronavirus is top of mind, our discussions need to go beyond that.

We need to know more about wider trends in local journalism too, such as the move to subscriptions, the growing importance of digital, and how issues of equity and diversity — in both newsroom coverage and personnel — are being addressed.

If you work in a newspaper with a print circulation of 50,000 or less, please take a few minutes to tell us about your experiences: https://bit.ly/Tow2020

What’s at stake?

The statistics speak for themselves:

• Over the previous 15 years, more than one-fourth of the country’s newspapers have disappeared, with 300 newspapers closing in the past two years alone.
• Around 1,300–1,400 communities that had their own newspapers in 2004 now have no news coverage. Close to half of all counties — 1,540 — only have one newspaper, usually a weekly. Almost 200 counties in the country have no newspaper at all.
• Newsroom employment at U.S. newspapers (including local titles) dropped by nearly half (47%) between 2008 and 2018, from about 71,000 workers to 38,000.
• Yet at the same time, based on 2019 research of 100 randomly sampled communities across the U.S. newspapers remain the largest source of original local journalism.

These pre-pandemic trends have only sped up as a result of the COVID crisis.

The irony is that while battering journalism, the pandemic has also underlined and reiterated the need for reliable local news. Access to accurate information tailored and relevant to your community can be crucial during a public health crisis.

Against this challenging and uncertain backdrop, it’s essential that we understand how local journalism is evolving, so that the industry can be supported by policymakers, funders and researchers.

Why Local Journalism matters?

If the pandemic is, as some experts fear, an “extinction-level event” for the media, the consequences for local communities and democracy could be dire.

It would dramatically reduce journalism’s ability to deliver on its core purposes: holding authority to account, informing and empowering audiences, and reflecting a community back to itself.

As Margaret Sullivan, media columnist for The Washington Post, explains: “There’s a difference between your neighbors’ rumors and an actual reported piece that is subject to verification and to correction if it’s wrong.”

Local newspapers are pivotal, not least because of the important role this sector plays in building communities, acting as a proxy for the wider news industry and generating original reporting.

Why Now?

Like the rest of the world, local journalism is grappling with the implications of the coronavirus.

Researchers, policymakers, platforms, training and trade bodies, as well as journalists writing about the media, must continue to shine a spotlight on this important sector and keep up to date with how the sector is developing and evolving.

With growing distrust in institutions like journalism and science, as well as the realities of new global challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, maintaining the integrity of local news is more important than ever.

If we can better understand the challenges that lie ahead for these newsrooms, then the industry and its advocates can better develop and champion relevant solutions.

What Do We Want to Know?

We ran a similar survey in late-2016, but a lot has changed since then.

President Trump had been elected, but not yet taken office, the “fake news” label had only just begun to enter our lexicon, the Stories format and podcasting were pretty nascent (certainly compared to now), “pivot to video” was still a thing, the presence of paywalls was less prevalent than it is today, and no one had heard of TikTok.

It’s time to update that story.

Amongst the biggest questions we need to understand today is the impact that COVID-19 has had on the industry, job security, and journalistic practices at local newspapers.

We are also interested in understanding how local newspaper journalists across the US feel about the future of their industry.

Is there still a disconnect between the conversations (and focus) we’re having about journalism at a national level and the reality in local newsrooms?

And, given the need for greater workforce diversity, a need to rebuild trust, and a recognition that we need to broaden the range of stories and voices that we feature; how are smaller, often more stretched, newsrooms also trying to address these issues?

How Can You Help?

While we recognize that local newsrooms already have a lot on their plates, your responses can help us understand changes that are quickly shaping local journalism.

We believe that the voice and the experiences of journalists working across the country deserve to be heard, and this survey provides an opportunity to share more details about the day-to-day realities of life at local newspapers.

In turn, your input can help better inform industry decision-making, show where support is most needed, as well as highlight examples of successes and innovations.

If you work in a newspaper with a print circulation of 50,000 or less, please take a few minutes to contribute, and encourage your colleagues to participate.

The survey should take 8–12 minutes of your time.

You can find it at bit.ly/Tow2020.

About “Local News in a Digital World”

The research project “Local News in a Digital World” will provide a snapshot of life at U.S. local newspapers in 2020. It builds on previous research for the Tow Center by Damian Radcliffe and Christopher Ali in 2016–17.

Damian Radcliffe is the Carolyn S. Chambers Professor in Journalism, a Professor of Practice, and an affiliate of the Department for the Middle East and North Africa Studies (MENA), at the University of Oregon.

His research and journalistic work focuses on local media, technology, social networks, content innovation and the changing nature of media business models. He continues to be an active journalist, writing monthly columns for ZDNet (CBS Interactive) and What’s New in Publishing, and frequently writing for other publications such as journalism.co.uk and IJNet.

For more information, please contact:

Damian Radcliffe, Carolyn S. Chambers Professor in Journalism, School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon.

Email: [email protected], Twitter: @damianradcliffe.