In recent years, local news has suffered a variety of financial woes: print newspaper circulation has plummeted and advertising revenue has declined. Many newspapers have closed and thousands have cut their editorial staffs as a result. Local TV has seen audience declines as well, and Facebook, Google and Craigslist have deprived newspaper classifieds of vital traffic.
In a new Pew Research Center report, we examine the state of local journalism in 2024. We find that Americans still get most of their local news from a range of sources. They tend to think the local news organizations they get most from do a good job overall, though their perceptions differ somewhat by the source of the information.
Americans who get most of their local news from online sources—social media or news websites—are more likely to be satisfied with the quality of the information they receive, especially when it comes to government and politics. However, a larger share of those who get their local news from newspaper websites than from any other source say the quality is poor.
The differences in satisfaction among those who turn to different sources of local news reflect a variety of factors, including the extent to which the news they consume is partisan and how much their political views shape how they perceive the quality of the information. They also may be shaped by the extent to which they think the local news organizations they consume are able to fulfil their duties to serve as watchdogs over elected leaders and keep the community informed about important issues.