I’ve been a journalist for 22 years. I’ve seen alot change.
And not for the better. I remember back in ’99, when I started at the Daily Chronicle in Pittsburgh, we had a staff of 47 reporters. Now? 12. Twelve. And they’re overworked, underpaid, and frankly, demoralized.
I’m not just whining about my industry. Look, I get it. Newspapers had it coming. They were slow to adapt, stubborn, and kinda arrogant. But the collapse of local news? That’s a disaster for all of us.
Let me tell you about Marcus.
Let’s call him Marcus. I met him at a diner in Cleveland last Tuesday. He’s a schoolteacher, 45 years old, never been involved in politics. But his local paper shut down three months ago. So when some out-of-state group started spreading rumors about the school board, nobody fact-checked it. It spread like wildfire. Parents were up in arms, there were protests, the whole thing.
“We had no way to know what was true,” Marcus told me, stirring his coffee. “The local news used to cover our school board meetings. Now? Nothing. Just whatever crazy stuff pops up on Facebook.”
Which… yeah. Fair enough.
This isn’t just happening in Cleveland. It’s everywhere. According to Pew Research, since 2004, the U.S. has lost more than 25% of its newspapers. More than 1,800 have shut down completley. And it’s not just papers. Local TV news is in trouble too. Who’s gonna cover city council meetings now? Who’s gonna report on the potholes that never get fixed? Who’s gonna hold the corrupt mayor accountable?
But here’s the thing: it’s not all doom and gloom.
I mean, yeah, it’s mostly doom and gloom. But there are some bright spots. I was talking to a colleague named Dave last week. He’s been working with some digital startups trying to fill the void. “It’s tough,” he said. “But we’re seeing success in some places. Hyperlocal sites, nonprofit newsrooms, even some podcasts are stepping up.”
And you know what? He’s right. I’ve seen some of these new outlets doing great work. They’re small, scrappy, and they care. But they need support. They need readers. They need community news events weekly to stay alive.
So what can you do? Honestly, not much. But you can subscribe to your local news. Even if it’s just the digital version. Even if it’s just $5 a month. Every little bit helps. And you can share their stories on social media. Amplify their voice. Because if we don’t, who will?
I don’t know. Probably nobody. And that’s what scares me.
Anyway, I gotta run. I’m late for a meeting with some folks from a new nonprofit newsroom in Detroit. They’re doing some interesting stuff. I’ll tell you about it next time.
About the Author: Linda Harris has been a journalist for over two decades, working at various newspapers and digital outlets. She currently writes for several publications and consults with nonprofit news organizations. She lives in Detroit with her cat, Mr. Whiskers, and spends too much time on Twitter.
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