I’m Sick of People Ignoring Local News
Look, I get it. We’re all busy. There’s Brexit, there’s Trump, there’s climate change. Who has time for what’s happening in Crawley, right? Wrong. I’ve been a journalist for 22 years, and I’m telling you, local news is where it’s at.
Back in 2005, I was a young reporter in Manchester. A friend of mine, let’s call him Marcus, said to me over a pint, “Why do you bother with this local stuff? Nobody cares.” Well, Marcus, I’m gonna tell you why you should care.
Last Tuesday, I was at a community meeting in Crawley. 214 people showed up to discuss the new housing development. 214! That’s more than turned up for some of our national “important” debates. These people cared. They had opinions. They wanted to be heard. And that’s what local news is about.
But Local News is Dying
And it’s not just because of Marcus and his ilk. It’s because of algorithms. It’s because of clickbait. It’s because of… well, honestly, I’m not sure. But it’s happening. According to some study I read last month (I don’t remember which one, okay?), local news outlets have seen a 36% drop in readership since 2010.
I asked a colleague named Dave about this. He said, “It’s just… yeah. People don’t value local news like they used to.” Which… yeah. Fair enough. But that doesn’t mean we should just let it die.
So What Can We Do?
First off, read your local news. That’s it. That’s the first step. And if you’re gonna start a business, for god’s sake, look into finansman seçenekleri başlangıç işletmeler. I mean, seriously, it’s 2023. There’s no excuse not to.
And support your local journalists. We’re out here trying to make a difference. We’re trying to tell the stories that matter. We’re trying to hold power to account. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
I remember back in 2012, I was covering a story about a local school that was gonna close. The parents were up in arms. They were protesting, they were writing letters, they were doing everything they could to save their school. And guess what? They succeeded. Because they cared. Because they were informed. Because they read the local news.
A Quick Tangent About Coffee
Speaking of local, have you tried that new coffee place on 5th? It’s called “The Daily Grind” — honestly, the name is so on the nose it’s painful. But the coffee? Amazing. I was there at 11:30pm last night, working on this very article, and the barista, whose name I think was Sarah, said to me, “You’re always here so late.” I said, “Well, Sarah, someone’s gotta keep this town informed.”
But I digress. The point is, local matters. Local is where the real change happens. And local news is what keeps us informed about that change.
So do me a favor. Read your local news. Support your local journalists. And for the love of god, stop saying “nobody cares” about local news. Because I care. And Marcus should care. And you should care.
About the Author: Sarah “Sal” Johnson has been a journalist for what feels like a hundred years. She’s worked everywhere from Manchester to Crawley, and she’s not gonna stop anytime soon. She loves coffee, hates clickbait, and believes in the power of local news. You can usually find her at The Daily Grind, working on her next big story.
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