News Deserts
Southern counties are more likely to have only one or no newspaper reporting trusted local news, compared to non-Southern counties.
Counties with no or only one newspaper (“news deserts”)
News deserts as of 2022
The steady decline of local newspapers across the nation has accelerated since the start of the pandemic, with over 300 news sources closing their doors.1 More than half of U.S. counties are what experts call “local news deserts” that have either no newspaper or only one (often a weekly or a thinly staffed daily). Southerners are more likely to live in news deserts, as 75% of Southern counties are news deserts, compared to 50% of non-Southern counties.
Declining news sources can further exacerbate the political, cultural, and digital divides across the nation. Studies by the Medill Local News Initiative at Northwestern University found that local news deserts tend to be communities that are older, poorer, less educated, and lacking the infrastructure for strong broadband — a crucial means for digital news to fill the gap left by closing print-based newspapers (Lack of Internet, by Race).2 In North Carolina, the Carolina Public Press responded to the digital divide by launching a project to discover the needs and distribution preferences for those without reliable digital access, aiming to share their methodology and learnings widely, in an effort to close the growing gap.3
Nationally, newsroom staff has been cut by 60%.1 Experts are pushing industry leaders to rethink the field of journalism, placing efforts on diversifying and broadening the current scope of journalism. Suggestions include bringing back the role of “community correspondents” to help cover the vast range of community-related issues and events, as well as implementing strategic plans to hire and retain journalists of color in local newsrooms.4,5
“The State of Local News”. Abernathy. Northwestern Local News Initiative. June, 2022. https://localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/research/state-of-local-news/report/
“We are becoming a nation of local news haves and have nots”. Waldman. Poynter. July, 2022. https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2022/decline-of-local-news-steven-waldman/
“Survey says: How are North Carolinians getting their news?” Carolina Public Press. May, 2022. https://carolinapublicpress.org/53792/survey-says-how-are-north-carolinians-getting-their-news/
“How we end local news deserts”. Abernathy. Poynter. August, 2022. https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2022/how-we-end-local-news-deserts/
“How can local newsrooms retain journalists of color?” Hare. Poynter. August, 2022. https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2022/how-can-local-newsrooms-retain-journalists-of-color/
