Local News in Crisis: How PR Professionals Can Help

Local papers account for 25% of media outlets and make up almost half of original reporting

Local newspapers produce some of the best reporting in the United States. Proximity to their communities and high editorial standards have generated some of the most groundbreaking stories of our time. While local papers only account for 25% of media outlets, they make up almost half of original reporting, which is then picked up by national news, broadcast and social.

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But we’re facing a local news crisis

Even pre-COVID-19, there were 225 counties in the US without a single newspaper. 35,000 news media employees have undergone layoffs, furloughs, or pay cuts and 30 local newsrooms have closed since the pandemic began.

At a local level, reporting on the Black Lives Matter movement fell on the shoulders of just a few. It’s no wonder there was a mishandling of information in Cleveland with so few journalists remaining after layoff, and outlets like the Plain Dealer scarcely covered the movement.

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Without local news, community accountability is in danger.

We rely on local papers to tell us about our communities, an especially important resource for minority communities. For example, Q City Metro in Charlotte and Amsterdam News in New York are news sources for the Black community and have covered social justice issues for years.

How can the communications industry support local media?

Let’s help our local news media friends and support their important work to ensure local stories are heard and shared. A few ways you can lend a hand:

• Subscribe: For every office in your organization, subscribe to that city’s local papers.
• Prioritize Local: Use a local approach as a primary PR strategy where appropriate and provide your news to local reporters first if/when you can. Local news trickles up to national.
• Learn: Join discussions with local reporters near you and associations to learn more, such as Local Media Association and Local Media Consortium. Other associations that may discuss local issues facing their communities include: National Association of Black Journalists, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association, Native American Journalists Association, and Asian American Journalists Association.
• Network: When you see news media hiring opportunities, share them with diverse candidates, as many BIPOC don’t get hired due to limited network or referrals.
• Donate: There are some great organizations funding local media, such as Local Media Association, where your dollars help local newsrooms reinvent their business models, reducing costs and increasing revenue, for long-term sustainability.

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