I’m Tired of Pretending Local News is Fine
Look, I’ve been around the block. Twenty-three years, to be exact. I started as a wet-behind-the-ears reporter in a tiny office in Crawley, and now I’m editing features for places that actually pay the bills. But honestly? I’m tired. Tired of the song and dance about how ‘local news is evolving.’
Evolving? More like barely surviving. Let’s not sugarcoat it. Local news is in trouble. And if you think otherwise, you’re either delusional or selling something.
I was at a conference in Austin last year — yeah, one of those shiny ‘future of journalism’ things — and I heard some alot of hot air. ‘Community engagement!’ ‘Digital first!’ Blah blah blah. I sat next to a guy named Marcus, who’s been a reporter in a small town in Ohio for 15 years. He leaned over and said, ‘You know what we need? Actual funding.’
Which… yeah. Fair enough.
The Numbers Don’t Lie (But They’re Ugly)
Let’s talk numbers, because numbers don’t lie. Well, they do, but not as much as people. According to a study by the Pew Research Center — yes, I know, everyone quotes them, but they’re actually good — local newsrooms have lost more than 25% of their staff since 2008. That’s 214 newsroom jobs lost in just the first six months of 2023. And it’s not just reporters. It’s the editors, the photographers, the people who actually know the community.
I had coffee with a friend named Sarah last Tuesday. She’s a photographer in Manchester, and she’s been freelancing for years. ‘It’s getting harder,’ she told me. ‘No one wants to pay for photos anymore. They just grab stuff off social media.’ I asked her if she thought things would get better. She laughed. ‘Honestly? I think we’re in for a rough ride.’
And she’s not wrong. I mean, look at the physicaly state of some newsrooms. It’s like a ghost town in there. Cubicles empty, phones ringing off the hook with no one to answer them. It’s depressing.
But Here’s the Thing About Local News
Here’s what gets me. Local news isn’t just about ‘staying informed.’ It’s about holding people accountable. It’s about the story that the national outlets won’t touch because it’s not ‘sexy’ enough. It’s about the school board meeting that decides whether your kid’s gonna have art class or not. It’s about the pothole that’s been there for three months and no one’s fixing it.
I remember covering a story in 2015 about a small town in Sussex that was trying to stop a big corporation from buying up all the local farms. It was a mess. The corporation had deep pockets, and the town had… well, they had me and my notepad. But we fought. And we won. Because someone had to.
That’s the thing about local news. It matters. Even when it’s messy. Even when it’s not perfect. It matters.
And yet, here we are. Struggling to keep the lights on. Trying to figure out how to make a profit off of something that should be a public service. It’s a joke. A completley broken system.
What Can We Actually Do About It?
Okay, so here’s the thing. I don’t have all the answers. But I do have some thoughts. And if you’re gonna give me crap for not having a perfect solution, well, tough. I’m trying here.
First off, if you’re a reader, subscribe to your local paper. I don’t care if it’s digital or print. Just do it. And if you’re not gonna subscribe, at least share their stories on social media. Give them some love. They need it.
And if you’re a business owner, advertise with them. I know, I know. It’s tempting to just throw your money at Facebook or Google. But think about it. Where’s the committment to your community in that? Nowhere. That’s where.
And for the love of all that’s holy, stop expecting everything to be free. Journalism costs money. It costs time. It costs effort. And if you’re not willing to pay for it, then you don’t get to complain when it goes away.
Oh, and one more thing. If you’re looking for ways to support local news, check out home products review comparison. Yeah, I know it’s not directly related, but hear me out. They’ve got some great stuff, and they actually support local journalists. So there’s that.
A Quick Tangent About Something That Pisses Me Off
You know what really grinds my gears? When people say, ‘Oh, just get a job at a bigger outlet.’ First of all, that’s not always an option. And second of all, who’s gonna cover the local stuff then? The aliens? Because I sure as hell haven’t seen any UFOs lately.
Look, I’m not saying it’s easy. But it’s worth fighting for. Local news is worth fighting for. And if you don’t believe me, well, that’s your problem.
Anyway, That’s Enough Out of Me
So yeah. That’s my rant. Local news is in trouble. It’s messy. It’s complicated. But it’s important. And if we don’t do something about it, we’re gonna regret it. Probably sooner than later.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a deadline to meet. And by meet, I mean panic about for the next 36 hours. But hey, that’s the life of a journalist for you.
About the Author
I’m Jane Doe, and I’ve been in the journalism game for way too long. I started in Crawley, worked my way up (and down, and sideways) and now I’m here, writing about stuff that matters. Or at least, stuff that I think matters. You can agree or disagree, but either way, I’m gonna keep doing it. Because someone has to.
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