By Edward Lynn
Editor
Please don’t take my word for it when I tell you that it’s really bad (REALLY bad) for a town to lose its local newspaper. There’s extensive research on the subject which proves how serious the problem is without a doubt. And I encourage you to read it if you have any doubts at all how serious this danger is. I’ve taken the liberty of collecting a reading list for you, and done my utmost to make it convenient. If you’re reading the print edition, scan the QR codes with your phone to read any article linked below. On your computer or phone, just click or tap the links.
There’s simply no doubt of this. And if something doesn’t change and change soon, it’s going to happen here.
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What Happens When Local Newspapers Shut Down, Communities Become News Deserts |
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Expanding News Desert: Loss of Local News |
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What Happens When a Community Loses Its Local Newspaper |
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How the Loss of Local Newspapers Fueled Political Divisions in the U.S. |
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Local Education News and Newspaper Closures |
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State of Local News 2024 |
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What Happens When a Newspaper Closes or Merges |
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The Disappearing Rural Newspaper |
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When Local Newspapers Close, Government Runs Unchecked and Costs Increase |
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Newspaper Decline and Local Government (Brookings Institution Working Paper) |
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Research on Newspaper Decline and Civic Outcomes |
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Local Newspaper Closures Come With a Hefty Price Tag for Residents (NPR) |
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The Local News Crisis (Washington Post) |
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Does Local News Reduce Polarization? (Carnegie) |
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Political Polarization and Local News Research (Journalist’s Resource) |
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When Local Newspapers Fold, Polarization Rises — Here’s What You Can Do (CNET) |
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As Newspapers Close, Local Corruption Thrives (LSE Business Review) |
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What Happens When a Newspaper Dies (Daily Yonder) |
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The State of Local News and Why It Matters (AJP) |
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Vanishing Voices: The Crisis of Local Journalism in America |
