News Deserts

Newsroom and newspaper closures across the nation mean limited access to trusted information, particularly for small communities.

Counties with no or only one newspaper (“news deserts”)

News deserts as of 2020

Source: UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media, inspired by Brookings research.

The steady decline of local newsrooms since 2004 has accelerated since the beginning of the pandemic, with over 100 local newsrooms closing entirely since the start of 2020.¹ Half of counties nationwide are what experts describe as “local news deserts” that have either no newspaper or only one (often a weekly or a thinly staffed daily).² In the South, 2 out of 3 counties are likely to be news deserts.³

Local news sources are an essential platform for both transparency and community input in small communities, and many understand what is lost without them. The absence of local news has allowed misinformation and disinformation campaigns to flourish, with no reliable sources to fill information gaps. A 2021 study finds that areas with local news closures have an increase in corporate misconduct, highlighting a crucial role that newsrooms play to ensure democratic values.⁴

Yet, journalists and community members are finding innovative ways to fill information gaps and adapt. In north-central Florida, surrounding newspapers are sending journalists to local news deserts like Gilchrist County, where its last local newspaper of 91 years recently closed its doors.⁵ The Gulf State Newsroom, a regional news collective, provides support to local journalists across areas with news deserts to help fill the news void.⁶ A research team out of Presbyterian College in South Carolina plans to survey local news organizations across the state to understand their challenges and identify recommendations for sustainable success.⁷

1. “More than 100 local newsrooms closed during the coronavirus pandemic”. Hare. Poynter. December, 2021. https://www.poynter.org/locally/2021/the-coronavirus-has-closed-more-than-100-local-newsrooms-across-america-and-counting/ 

2. “News Deserts And Ghost Newspapers: Will Local News Survive?” UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media. 2020. https://www.usnewsdeserts.com/reports/news-deserts-and-ghost-newspapers-will-local-news-survive/

3. “Addressing the decline of local news, rise of platforms, and spread of mis- and disinformation online”. Ardia, Ringel, Ekstrand, and Fox. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. December, 2020. https://citap.unc.edu/local-news-platforms-mis-disinformation/ 

4. “When the Local Newspaper Leaves Town: The Effects of Local Newspaper Closures on Corporate Misconduct”. Heese, Cavazos, and Peter. Journal of Financial Economics. July, 2021. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3889039

5. “North central Florida newspapers attempt to remedy Gilchrist County news desert. Halaly. NPR. April, 2022. https://www.wuft.org/news/2022/04/12/north-central-florida-newspapers-attempt-to-remedy-gilchrist-county-news-desert/ 

6. “The Gulf States Newsroom Builds Connections for Better Journalism”. Sirianni. NPR. March, 2022. https://www.npr.org/sections/npr-extra/2022/03/15/1086474553/the-gulf-states-newsroom-builds-connections-for-better-journalism

7. “News deserts are growing. SC’s Oasis Project will try to stop this pattern”. Bartelme. The Post and Courier. March, 2022. https://www.postandcourier.com/news/news-deserts-are-growing-scs-oasis-project-will-try-to-stop-this-pattern/article_c5facf60-aae4-11ec-87d2-3b010885963b.html