I think the loss of local reporters and journalists is a far bigger problem. Let me explain.
In order to cover a community, reporters had to understand how things worked. For example, to cover local government – city councils, school boards, water boards, county supervisors etc. – reporters had to navigate a confusing array of proc…
I think the loss of local reporters and journalists is a far bigger problem. Let me explain.
In order to cover a community, reporters had to understand how things worked. For example, to cover local government – city councils, school boards, water boards, county supervisors etc. – reporters had to navigate a confusing array of processes and procedures (including agendas, minutes, legal parameters, elections, authorities, public and closed session meetings, and budgets).
In short, reporters served as civic interpreters who translated legalese into laymen’s language. Unfortunately, few people realized how much they depended on local reporters to translate the language of local government. In turn, local officials relied on local reporters to guide the public through the process.
For example, I’ve been watching the uproar at school board meetings over CRT and masks. Without a local reporter guiding them through the decision-making process, these parents arrived too late. The decisions had been made.
School boards are bound by laws and can NOT vote on anything, that has not been placed on the agenda and noticed to the public in advance. Most school board members are so afraid of breaking the law, they won’t even speak in public meetings. Only the most highly skilled school board member knows how to agendize an item during public comments. And these videos make it painfully clear that American schools have very few skilled elected officials.
Personally, I attribute the decline of Civic Life, to the loss of local reporters. Anyone can create an on-line newspaper. But without reporters, opinion is the only thing a newspaper can print.
Yes. Reporting, especially anything approaching investigative reporting, is time-consuming, requires expertise and institutional knowledge, and is therefore expensive. Opinion requires no research, no fact checking, so is practically free.
With ad revenue all but gone and the transition to subscription support incomplete, local papers have fired reporters in droves.
Does your region have a not-for-profit news outlet?
I live in Kentucky and we have a town newspaper and I found a reporter here with her own website paper - and I subscribe to both. Near as I can tell, rural newspapers survive off their coverage of local school sports - an entire 4 pages per paper is common.
Our newspaper is barely holding on and I am considering volunteering some of my time to help out. My hesitation is the age of their staff. Since they have not invested in bringing young people on board, I think they have little chance of holding out much longer.
I think the loss of local reporters and journalists is a far bigger problem. Let me explain.
In order to cover a community, reporters had to understand how things worked. For example, to cover local government – city councils, school boards, water boards, county supervisors etc. – reporters had to navigate a confusing array of processes and procedures (including agendas, minutes, legal parameters, elections, authorities, public and closed session meetings, and budgets).
In short, reporters served as civic interpreters who translated legalese into laymen’s language. Unfortunately, few people realized how much they depended on local reporters to translate the language of local government. In turn, local officials relied on local reporters to guide the public through the process.
For example, I’ve been watching the uproar at school board meetings over CRT and masks. Without a local reporter guiding them through the decision-making process, these parents arrived too late. The decisions had been made.
School boards are bound by laws and can NOT vote on anything, that has not been placed on the agenda and noticed to the public in advance. Most school board members are so afraid of breaking the law, they won’t even speak in public meetings. Only the most highly skilled school board member knows how to agendize an item during public comments. And these videos make it painfully clear that American schools have very few skilled elected officials.
Personally, I attribute the decline of Civic Life, to the loss of local reporters. Anyone can create an on-line newspaper. But without reporters, opinion is the only thing a newspaper can print.
Very well said.
important observation
Yes. Reporting, especially anything approaching investigative reporting, is time-consuming, requires expertise and institutional knowledge, and is therefore expensive. Opinion requires no research, no fact checking, so is practically free.
With ad revenue all but gone and the transition to subscription support incomplete, local papers have fired reporters in droves.
Does your region have a not-for-profit news outlet?
I live in Kentucky and we have a town newspaper and I found a reporter here with her own website paper - and I subscribe to both. Near as I can tell, rural newspapers survive off their coverage of local school sports - an entire 4 pages per paper is common.
Our newspaper is barely holding on and I am considering volunteering some of my time to help out. My hesitation is the age of their staff. Since they have not invested in bringing young people on board, I think they have little chance of holding out much longer.