Local news can survive its existential crisis

I recently had the privilege of attending a journalism conference with media professionals from around the globe. What could have been a joyous reunion was partially marred by a disturbing theme: the future of local news appears bleak.

So when a young woman told me she was majoring in journalism, my first thought was, “Oh no, don’t do that.” That might have been too harsh a reaction because—despite all the doom and gloom around local news—there are ways it can thrive, and I certainly love writing for newspapers. Considering the public good they provide, everyone should want them to flourish. They may—but first, the bad news.

“Since 2005, more than 3,200 print newspapers have vanished. Newspapers continue to disappear at a rate of more than two per week,” reports Northwestern University. “In addition to these closures and mergers, papers are reducing their print coverage.” Given this trend, it is not surprising that the number of journalists has declined by 75% since 2002.

The basic problem boils down to revenue. Newspapers have historically relied on advertising, including classifieds, and subscriptions to stay in business. Advertising revenue has long since dwindled, and newspaper subscriptions have too. According to Pew Research, only 15% of people paid for local news in 2023.

There is also the problem of demographics. Most subscribers are older, and sadly won’t be around forever. Even so, people continue to get the news. Others get it by word of mouth, blogs, social media or television, even though 85% say that local news is at least somewhat important.

“Research shows that the loss of local news is having an insidious effect on our democracy—contributing to polarization, decrease in voting, and government accountability,” the American Journalism Project notes. Local papers can serve as a kind of fabric connecting community members.

The fact that you’re reading this means that there are newspapers doing it right, but there are plenty of others facing serious struggles. The Atlanta Journal Constitution, for instance, no longer publishes a daily print edition, and has laid off about 15% of its workforce. So how do we preserve local media?

While at the journalism conference, a German reporter suggested the United States should follow Germany’s example and force taxpayers to fund local journalism. The moderator quickly shot down that statement, and rightly so. It’s a problematic idea. If you want to imperil independent media, put government bureaucrats in charge of it. Their funding could quickly become dependent on editorial decisions.

Instead, as R Street Institute co-founder Eli Lehrer suggested, the government could create a streamlined method for newspapers to become nonprofits—freeing them from corporate taxes. They can switch their status now, but it is a convoluted process and provides an awkward fit that limits editorial independence. The creation of a new nonprofit status could fix this and enshrine their First Amendment freedoms—allowing papers to operate with the leeway they have enjoyed for years.

There are other paths forward that don’t involve government’s heavy hand or taxpayer handouts. In recent years, philanthropic organizations and corporations have offered support and resources to newspapers. This has totaled hundreds of millions of dollars, which has helped significantly, although there is not enough grant money to bankroll all local news. This is more or less supplemental support.

Other approaches include pooling shared services with other newspapers (like staff lawyers, design services, consultants, research and so forth); diversifying revenue streams to include different subscriptions for various products; and of course, integrating artificial intelligence into their business models.

Some papers are already experimenting with this. The AJC disclosed as early as 2022 that it was using an AI tool to help with high school sports reporting, and there are many other AI applications that could free up journalists to focus on other tasks. Someone still needs to do the gumshoe reporting that’s the foundation of good journalism. However, it is important that these AI tools not only improve efficiency, but also make news better.

None of these offers a silver bullet to the nagging existential crisis facing media, but they might help papers weather the storm. In the end, the news industry will have to evolve, but the original subscriber business model will likely continue for years to come. If you enjoy local news, you should continue supporting it and ask your friends to join you.

Time will tell whether the young woman I met at the journalism conference made the right choice by majoring in journalism or if my knee-jerk reaction was right. As it stands, if my child decides to major in journalism, I will probably suggest a double-major to include a more lucrative backup plan. Either way, I hope local media is here to stay.