We contribute to a local free publication, Willamette Week, and I check our local KGW website (mostly I rely on my husband to tell me what's there). I regularly read Oregon Public Broadcasting (local PBS) news online. We also have a digital antenna and sometimes watch the local news to keep up with the mainstream.
I live in the Pacific Northwest and read Crosscut, our local indie publication. They spotlight issues that are often ignored by the mainstream. I also read Truthout, which provides insight into controversial topics. Another online commentary is Kractivist. It's published in India but covers topics globally, from a liberal left perspective. And I love Al Jazeera, which supplies better insight into Middle East, Asian and African news than politically biased accounts in either US or locally.
If you have read a recent Atlantic, you will know about Alden Global Capital, a secretive fund that is buying many newspapers of known and stripping them to bare bones. Papers include The Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, NY Daily News and many others. Their efforts are destroying many respected papers and adding riches to the owners who will not grant interviews and keep their finances secret.
I subscribe to the digital versions of the Washington Post and the S.F. Chronicle. We have a local weekly here in our town. I scan the Google news app on my phone.
We still get our local newspaper (for our large city nearby) which has daily local news as well as twice a week we get a section that is entirely for our town. They are struggling and there are problems with delivery. For example, for the first ten years, the paper would arrive between 4 and 5 AM and I would get up have some coffee and read the paper. For the last 5 years the paper arrives between 4 AM and 9 AM and often doesn't arrive at all. It isn't just a problem for my location because I hear the same thing is happening all around the area. Unfortunately I see the quality in-depth coverage of local events being pushed to the sides and we only hear when the crazies are causing issues - such as school board harassment. Our HOA wants us all to subscribe to Town Square but that has become another place to rant about silly things - it's a mini FB, sadly. So I stopped getting TS in my email. But, for a while, we could hear about things going on at the neighborhood school or with local groups on TS. I'm not sure what the answer is. I am very disappointed with our fellow citizens of the world who gave up on a collaborative process for moving forward and only want to subscribe to "my way or the highway."
We still get our local newspaper delivered to the house (the Ledger - Lakeland, FL). It has changed over the years and has been bought/sold by larger papers. They are struggling but seem to be pretty stable now that they have downsized. We also have a fabulous new local non-profit paper which is very exciting for us and gives me hope that local news can sustain. They are exclusively online and are focused on local news, sports, candidates, etc. in a fabulous and refreshing way. Please check them out and support local news!! https://www.lkldnow.com/ Just a little biased as our son is a freshman in college majoring in Journalism. Thank you for all that you do!!
I rely on a local ABC affiliate station, WSB in Atlanta GA. I also subscribe to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper. The newspaper does inspiring local stories, investigative journalism pieces which are usually local. There are also editorials from local and national people. They present various views when it comes to politics, I find it to be a well rounded and informative paper with lots of local things as well as national interests.
We have a local newspaper called The Signal, Radio Station, and a local TV station. I do not subscribe to any of them anymore. I’ve subscribed previously because of the local high school events and news, I left because their opinion page has more coverage than the actual news. There is only one man who submits multiple opinions and they are so conspiracy driven I had to stop my subscription. I wish I was a writer but writing is my struggle. The most local I get is the LA news from the radio on my way to work or television when I get home. I admit that most of my news comes from national podcasts like the daily or NPRs Up First.
I watch ABC nightly news, then PBS for my national and world news. I read Heath Cox Richardson daily. And I look over the local online newspaper for more local events and news. I subscribe here and to Michael Moore. Between all these, I figure I am getting the news. Most of it depresses me. But there are moments of hope....
We subscribe to our local newspaper, the Skagit Valley Herald, as well as the Sunday Seattle Times. We also watch local news stations KOMO and KING in Seattle.
I think it is important to keep supporting the local papers as they are the best way to get a variety of news about the community. They also cover national and international news.
You are so right about the importance of local journalism. I subscribe to our small community newspaper, even though it may be thin on content. I also subscribe to a large regional newspaper that covers our area as well as the state. And then I subscribe to several national newspapers as well. I think it’s important to support them as well as have their content readily available. Reading the news everyday has been a staple of my existence since I was in elementary school and continues to be at age 68. Thank you for challenging us with your questions.
Where you get your local news? NPR and local station KUNI Radio
Do you see signs of hope or only despair? I see some glimmers of hope. I live in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Iowa Democratic party has some very good people working here in eastern Iowa. We have some good candidates who have announced their campaigns on the state and national levels.
Are new models emerging? Not that I have noticed.
Have you seen your local newspapers (or other news sources) do innovative forms of coverage? One of the local television stations has done some in-depth reporting on innovative practices in agriculture. It is KWWL in Waterloo, Iowa.
Have you recently subscribed to a local news outlet? Or have you dropped your coverage? We are consistent subscribers to our local NPR station.
What do you think is being lost on the local news front? Iowa is currently blanketed with corporate, right-wing radio from two formerly well respected powerhouse radio stations. One is in Des Moines and one is in Cedar Rapids. There is absolutely no counterbalance.
We contribute to a local free publication, Willamette Week, and I check our local KGW website (mostly I rely on my husband to tell me what's there). I regularly read Oregon Public Broadcasting (local PBS) news online. We also have a digital antenna and sometimes watch the local news to keep up with the mainstream.
I get my local news from the @CBSNews channel. It’s the only news I trust to be factual. WCTV Tallahassee, FL
I live in the Pacific Northwest and read Crosscut, our local indie publication. They spotlight issues that are often ignored by the mainstream. I also read Truthout, which provides insight into controversial topics. Another online commentary is Kractivist. It's published in India but covers topics globally, from a liberal left perspective. And I love Al Jazeera, which supplies better insight into Middle East, Asian and African news than politically biased accounts in either US or locally.
If you have read a recent Atlantic, you will know about Alden Global Capital, a secretive fund that is buying many newspapers of known and stripping them to bare bones. Papers include The Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, NY Daily News and many others. Their efforts are destroying many respected papers and adding riches to the owners who will not grant interviews and keep their finances secret.
I thought this was a good piece on the potential future of local news:
https://www.niemanlab.org/2021/03/build-for-a-crisis-ideas-for-the-future-of-local-news/
I subscribe to the digital versions of the Washington Post and the S.F. Chronicle. We have a local weekly here in our town. I scan the Google news app on my phone.
We still get our local newspaper (for our large city nearby) which has daily local news as well as twice a week we get a section that is entirely for our town. They are struggling and there are problems with delivery. For example, for the first ten years, the paper would arrive between 4 and 5 AM and I would get up have some coffee and read the paper. For the last 5 years the paper arrives between 4 AM and 9 AM and often doesn't arrive at all. It isn't just a problem for my location because I hear the same thing is happening all around the area. Unfortunately I see the quality in-depth coverage of local events being pushed to the sides and we only hear when the crazies are causing issues - such as school board harassment. Our HOA wants us all to subscribe to Town Square but that has become another place to rant about silly things - it's a mini FB, sadly. So I stopped getting TS in my email. But, for a while, we could hear about things going on at the neighborhood school or with local groups on TS. I'm not sure what the answer is. I am very disappointed with our fellow citizens of the world who gave up on a collaborative process for moving forward and only want to subscribe to "my way or the highway."
We still get our local newspaper delivered to the house (the Ledger - Lakeland, FL). It has changed over the years and has been bought/sold by larger papers. They are struggling but seem to be pretty stable now that they have downsized. We also have a fabulous new local non-profit paper which is very exciting for us and gives me hope that local news can sustain. They are exclusively online and are focused on local news, sports, candidates, etc. in a fabulous and refreshing way. Please check them out and support local news!! https://www.lkldnow.com/ Just a little biased as our son is a freshman in college majoring in Journalism. Thank you for all that you do!!
I rely on a local ABC affiliate station, WSB in Atlanta GA. I also subscribe to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper. The newspaper does inspiring local stories, investigative journalism pieces which are usually local. There are also editorials from local and national people. They present various views when it comes to politics, I find it to be a well rounded and informative paper with lots of local things as well as national interests.
We have a local newspaper called The Signal, Radio Station, and a local TV station. I do not subscribe to any of them anymore. I’ve subscribed previously because of the local high school events and news, I left because their opinion page has more coverage than the actual news. There is only one man who submits multiple opinions and they are so conspiracy driven I had to stop my subscription. I wish I was a writer but writing is my struggle. The most local I get is the LA news from the radio on my way to work or television when I get home. I admit that most of my news comes from national podcasts like the daily or NPRs Up First.
The excellent Philadelphia Inquirer is an exception to the trend of poor coverage of local news.
I watch ABC nightly news, then PBS for my national and world news. I read Heath Cox Richardson daily. And I look over the local online newspaper for more local events and news. I subscribe here and to Michael Moore. Between all these, I figure I am getting the news. Most of it depresses me. But there are moments of hope....
We subscribe to our local newspaper, the Skagit Valley Herald, as well as the Sunday Seattle Times. We also watch local news stations KOMO and KING in Seattle.
I think it is important to keep supporting the local papers as they are the best way to get a variety of news about the community. They also cover national and international news.
You are so right about the importance of local journalism. I subscribe to our small community newspaper, even though it may be thin on content. I also subscribe to a large regional newspaper that covers our area as well as the state. And then I subscribe to several national newspapers as well. I think it’s important to support them as well as have their content readily available. Reading the news everyday has been a staple of my existence since I was in elementary school and continues to be at age 68. Thank you for challenging us with your questions.
Thank you for these questions. The responses are eye-opening.
Where you get your local news? NPR and local station KUNI Radio
Do you see signs of hope or only despair? I see some glimmers of hope. I live in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Iowa Democratic party has some very good people working here in eastern Iowa. We have some good candidates who have announced their campaigns on the state and national levels.
Are new models emerging? Not that I have noticed.
Have you seen your local newspapers (or other news sources) do innovative forms of coverage? One of the local television stations has done some in-depth reporting on innovative practices in agriculture. It is KWWL in Waterloo, Iowa.
Have you recently subscribed to a local news outlet? Or have you dropped your coverage? We are consistent subscribers to our local NPR station.
What do you think is being lost on the local news front? Iowa is currently blanketed with corporate, right-wing radio from two formerly well respected powerhouse radio stations. One is in Des Moines and one is in Cedar Rapids. There is absolutely no counterbalance.