When news breaks in a local community, it can have major impacts on residents and how they understand their environment. This type of journalism—sometimes referred to as hyperlocal or community journalism—is often more relevant for people than national or international stories, and it can foster a stronger sense of civic identity by informing citizens about the government decisions that directly impact them.
Many local news organizations—including newspaper publications, radio and television stations, and digital outlets—have been forced to adapt to changing economic and technological conditions. These changes can put strains on a company’s finances and lead to reduced staff sizes and decreased coverage of important local issues. In addition, social media can provide alternative sources of information to the public, which can dilute audience loyalty for traditional local news providers.
In the United States, local news focuses on community and regional events, politics, economy, sports and culture. A recent survey by the Poynter Institute found that local newspapers are still the most trusted source of information. More than half of American adults say they get a great deal or a fair amount of their news from local papers, and 73% trust them more than the national paper they read and 55% trust network and cable TV newscasts less.
When the hometown newspaper in Eudora, Kansas, went under in 2021, a local newspaper group stepped in to save it. They recruited journalism students from nearby Grady College (the Journalism and Mass Communication School at the University of Georgia) to serve as editors, and The Echo has been a vital part of the community ever since.