By the Numbers: The bleak state of local news – and a few bright spots

Let’s not bury the lede: local news is in a tailspin and has been for nearly two decades.

The 2024 State of Local News Report from the Medill Local News Initiative at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications sheds a light on just how things have deteriorated in the last year. The report specifically examines newspapers, public broadcasters, network websites and standalone websites.

It’s a grim picture. But for the first time in years, there are some glimmers of hope on restoring these vital sources of news that inform communities, educate the populace and provide a key source for many PR professionals seeking hypertargeted messages.

Here are some of the most salient points for PR professionals.

Newspapers on the decline

Newspapers have been in trouble since they failed to adequately adapt their business model to the internet. Since 2005, the report finds that one-third of all newspapers have shut their doors. In the last year alone, 127 vanished. There are now 5,600 newspapers nationwide, with 80% of those weeklies.

In other words, there are only 1,120 daily newspapers in a country of 335 million.

Leading this steep decline is a continuing decrease in subscribers. The report found that 500 of the largest newspapers lost a cumulative 2 million subscribers in the past year – and that’s not even taking into account the Washington Post’s massive 250,000 subscriber exodus. That, of course, feeds into an overall reduction of newsroom staff, which shrunk by 2,000 roles in the last year. Overall, there are fewer than 100,000 workers employed in newspaper publishing nationwide.

These staffing reductions have also led to cuts in print frequency – or an overall move to digital. Even newspapers classified as “dailies” often don’t print on a daily basis – only about a third still have print editions seven days a week. Even among the 100 largest dailies, only 71 still live up to that title.. Thirty newspapers earned reclassification as “digital-only” sites, as they have stopped print circulation altogether.

Consolidation of newspaper ownership can make it even more difficult to land stories in print. The report looked at the homepages of 500 newspaper sites owned by the five largest holders (Gannett/Gatehouse, Alden/MediaNews Group, Adams Publishing Group, Paxton Media Group and a tie between Lee Enterprises and Carpenter Media Group) and found that one-third of the content came from another source, such as a news wire or a paper in a nearby area.

So even when there are newspapers, only about two-thirds of their content is being produced in house. On the one hand, that allows more of an opportunity for content to spread beyond its initial publication site. On the other hand, less content  produced locally reduces overall chances for placement.

Hope on the horizon

Things are pretty bad, but they aren’t completely bleak. As newspapers dwindle away, other types of news sources are cropping up to attempt to fill the void.

The report tracked 22 separate news networks across the U.S. that together represent more than 500 news sources. Some of these you’ve heard of, like Axios Local and Patch. These can vary widely in what they offer. Axios, for instance, offers local reporting primarily distributed through email newsletters. Meanwhile Patch, the largest of the networks, employs some reporters, but also opens its platform to independent reporters, who can use the site to share information without being employees.

These networks meet with mixed success, the report found. Patch has operated at a profit for several years but Axios laid off 10% of its staff earlier this year.

Another 52 new news sources cropped up in 2023 – a small number at the national level, but each representing a beacon for the community it serves, from The Owen News in Southern Indiana to The Plumas Sun in California. Ninety percent are digital-only, requiring less overhead to start than a print operation. And many are fueled by philanthropic giving, such as the Press Forward campaign, which has promised half a billion dollars for local newsrooms.

The bottom line for PR

Local news remains a critical part of many PR campaigns. While national placements like the Wall Street Journal might excite executives most, trust in local outlets remains higher than for national news. Pew Research found that 71% of Americans still trust their local news’ reporting to be accurate – huge numbers in a time of dwindling public trust.

It’s getting harder and harder to find placement in local news outlets, but there are also some tantalizing new options that allow PR professionals to connect with audiences who are engaged with their communities and passionate about the world around them. The ability to tap into these audiences, whether you want them to buy a new widget or get on board with a new wind farm, can’t be understated.

You might have to work a bit harder to get that placement, but it can still be so worth it.

Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on Twitter or LinkedIn.