Local news can help battle disinformation, report finds. But outlets are struggling
Journalists at Phoenix-area daily newspaper, The Arizona Republic, broke the story of the ‘Gilbert Goons,’ a gang of affluent teens who attacked fellow teens over a two-year period ultimately killing one 16-year-old, which mobilized the community and law enforcement into action. A new report from the Public Policy Forum shows that community newspapers like the Republic combat misinformation and support local engagement.
Toronto Star
A new report that surveyed residents of small towns across Canada says a lack of local news outlets weakens community ties and affects people’s understanding of how government, schools and hospitals function.
The report comes from the Public Policy Forum think-tank and says years of cuts to local news outlets have whittled down a critical pillar of democracy.
The Lost Estate: How to put the local back in local news paints a dire portrait of small-town journalism and links its decline to increased alienation and distrust.
The study included an Ipsos poll of 1,001 Canadians in communities with populations below 100,000 – with half coming from communities of fewer than 10,000.
Report co-author Andrew Phillips – a Toronto Star columnist and former editor-in-chief of the Montreal Gazette and the Victoria Times Colonist – says dropping ad revenues, corporate ownership models and the dominance of online platforms have especially hurt local news outlets.
It calls for fixes that include tax incentives that encourage local businesses to buy ads in local media, and philanthropic support to bolster public funds — including from local foundations and donations from readers themselves.
READ THE REPORT IN ITS ENTIRETY
ADDITIONAL NEWS FROM THE INTEGRITY PROJECT