Local news focuses on events and issues that directly affect people in specific geographic areas. It fosters community identity by highlighting topics that resonate with residents and reflecting their values, culture, and concerns. It informs citizens about government decisions, local events, and public services, encouraging civic engagement and participation.
In recent years, many local commercial television stations have aired dedicated local newscasts. These can be standalone newscasts that run for a half-hour or short segments that air attached to nationally networked newscasts. In some cases, the graphics and branding of these local newscasts differ from the corresponding national network news.
Nonprofit news organizations also play a critical role in providing local news coverage. While philanthropic support is one of the foundational pillars for these organizations, they often need to raise a significant amount of diversified revenue in order to remain financially viable. To do so, they must build a network of donors to support their work and create a diversified revenue stream that includes subscriptions, events, advertising, and memberships.
Despite the challenges that face local media, there are examples of innovative business models for sustainable local news. In a small central Kansas town, for instance, where a local newspaper closed in 2009 leaving an unfilled news gap, journalism students have since established the Eudora Times. In this example and others, community leaders and stakeholders partner with local newsrooms to fill the information gaps that might otherwise exist. In doing so, they are also cultivating a new generation of journalists who may be more inclined to trust local sources and engage in civic dialogue if they grow up with an understanding that their news is created by and for them.