Local news is the journalism that focuses on issues, events, and people that impact a specific geographic area. It plays a crucial role in shaping community identity and fostering civic engagement by informing residents about government decisions, local events, and public services.
The rise of social media has transformed how local news is distributed and shared, but it also presents new challenges for journalists. For example, the speed and immediacy of digital platforms can make it difficult to fact-check information or weed out misinformation. In addition, the financial strains facing many local newsrooms can limit their capacity to invest in deep reporting.
A key component of successful local news is the ability to connect with communities, which can be achieved through partnerships and collaborations between smaller newsrooms and larger organizations (such as ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network) or by developing new audiences in underserved communities. These efforts can build trust in the news and connect audiences to public affairs by showing that they are listening to them.
Local news has a direct impact on the lives of residents and helps shape their identity, while national news impacts citizens’ views at a much broader level. Both forms of news offer distinct opportunities to influence the way we think and feel, but local journalism focuses on stories with a very specific audience while national news often involves working on high-profile stories that have a broad impact. Despite these differences, both can have a profound impact on our daily lives and help shape the world around us.