Survey: Americans Still Consume Local News, But Where It Comes From Is Changing

Even as news organizations continue to shrink or shutter, Americans still turn to local news in significant numbers, according to a new survey co-led by a University of Maryland journalism professor. They’re just getting it less from traditional reporters, and more from influencers and independent journalists covering their communities.

That’s just one of the findings about a changing media landscape in the report published last week by the Media Insight Project, a new collaboration of the Local News Network at UMD’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism; the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research; the American Press Institute; and Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications. 

Its poll of 2,100 media consumers, roughly half adults and half 13- to 17-year-olds, fielded in February showed that three-quarters of Americans read, watch or listen to local news. While most still get it from traditional outfits, one-third are turning to independent creators including, notably, a quarter of 50- to 64-year-olds, the report showed.

“We often think, ‘Oh, that’s what the kids are doing,’ but middle-aged adults and Baby Boomers get educated in new media behaviors from their kids,” said Tom Rosenstiel, professor of the practice and Eleanor Merrill Scholar on the Future of Journalism of the University of Maryland. 

More than 3,000 newspaper organizations permanently stopped the presses in the past 20 years, and a blend of content creators and independent journalists, including ex-employees of traditional newsroom, is filling the gap. The new arrivals, who publish on platforms like YouTube and Substack, write blogs or newsletters, or record podcasts, draw large audiences among teens—and increasingly adults.

The shift from institutions to individuals signals a “not-to-distant future where some of our community news comes from the influencer gadfly who goes to city or county council meetings and has a strong personality,” said Rosenstiel.

On the national level, Americans of all ages are also gravitating toward alternative content creation; 57% of respondents reported getting news from independent sources.

Survey respondents trust local news to get the facts straight and treat all side fairly by a slim margin over national news, but favor it as a source of useful information by a whopping 41% to 24%. Overall, however, confidence in journalism is still relatively low, driving consumers toward content creators they deem transparent and authentic.

“American teenagers and adults have not abandoned traditional forms of journalism, but they are re-evaluating where authority and trust come from,” said Robyn Tomlin, executive director of the American Press Institute and coauthor of the report. “That reality has enormous implications for the future of news.” 

Trust, though, is a tricky thing, easier to earn when the creator is, say, a former professional reporter on Substack, said Rosenstiel. Problems arise when niche influencers covering topics like gaming or fashion wade into news and politics.

“There are a variety of comedians and iconoclastic oddballs wandering into this space on the left and the right, and they’re talking about current events,” he said. “I don’t think that’s necessarily a wonderful development, but it’s happening.”

Among the study’s other findings:

• Hard news engagement grows with age, while teens are more likely to be heavy lifestyle news consumers. Only 12% of teens qualify as “avid hard news consumers,” defined as those who follow news related to politics, social issues, the economy, environment or crime. The number is almost three times higher, 35%, for adults 65 and older.
• Teens and adults alike hold politicians and social media companies primarily responsible for misinformation. A majority blame politicians (66%) for spreading misinformation, while local news receives the least blame (35%).
• Few respondents say news gives them a hopeful view of the world. Most report avoiding news about specific topics, especially celebrity news (71%), while 62% avoid news about Donald Trump and 57% avoid any national politics coverage.

To build a sustainable local media operation as traditional outlets fail, Rosenstiel advised news executives to search for citizens with charisma and an appreciation for verification who could become “accidental journalists,” he said.

“There’s opportunity in local news if you do something new,” he said. “Find people with personalities and give them room to bring them into the coverage.”