In much of the country local news has collapsed, threatening civic pride and a sense of community for countless towns and cities. This dramatic change has also deepened America's divides.
As our guest, journalist and public policy researcher Anna Brugmann explains in this episode, "the internet disrupted the local journalism model". Newspaper advertising revenue fell 80% since 2000. Thousands of local and regional publications closed. Most surviving newsrooms faced drastic cutbacks. Coverage of all kinds of local events— from city hall, school board meetings and football games to local businesses and zoning decisions — disappeared.
First, Craigslist displaced print-based classified ads. Then Google, Facebook and other online firms became the main source of consumer advertising. We discuss the impact on local journalism. In recent decades, the news we read and listen to has largely shifted from local reporting to often highly polarizing national opinion journalism.
In the first of two episodes on the changing face of the news media, we look at the retreat of local journalism and discuss solutions. These include non-profit media and changes in for-profit business models. Today, many newspapers get more revenue from subscriptions and fundraising drives than from advertising. We ask: how sustainable are these initiatives?
Anna Brugmann is policy director for the advocacy organization, Rebuild Local News. According to her group, since 2004, as the U.S. population has grown, the number of newsroom employees has dropped by 57%.
"By almost every metric by which you measure a healthy community and a healthy democracy, the trends are in the wrong direction when local news leaves," says Anna. "In the past twenty years more than two thousands newspapers have closed in The United States."
Recommendation: Jim is listening to a lot of podcasts since he unplugged his TV and stopped watching broadcast and cable news. Among his current favorite podcasts is "The Reeducation With Eli Lake". The show "challenges the common narratives the mainstream media and others push".
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
COVID Vaccine Hesitancy: Dr. Wrenetha Julion
Will Gen Z Save the GOP? Danielle Butcher and John Olds
The Loneliness Pandemic. Noreena Hertz
Free Speech in an Era of Conflict: Nadine Strossen
Why Many Latinos Vote Republican: Geraldo Cadava
Chaos at the Capitol: What Next? Lee Drutman
2020 Year-End Show: What We Learned About COVID
Net-Zero America by 2050: Jesse Jenkins and Eric Larson
Mothers, Families and COVID - Erica Komisar
Breakthroughs in Science & Space: Neil deGrasse Tyson
The Case for AllSides: John Gable, Samantha Shireman
Problem Solvers in Congress: Abigail Spanberger (D) Brian Fitzpatrick (R)
Our Election 2020 Lessons. Jim and Richard
Record High Voter Turnout? Seth Flaxman
Covid Pandemic: America's Wake Up Call. Adrian Wooldridge
Four Threats: American Democracy in Crisis: Suzanne Mettler
Why Voting Isn't Enough. CivicLex: Richard Young, Megan Gulla
Advice to my Younger Self: Bruce Van Dusen
Loving Yourself and Humanity: Chloé Valdary
Fires In The West: Alastair Gee and Dani Anguiano
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Jim & Bill (It‘s Another Day)
HauntingLive
Dr. Paul’s Worldviews
The Ben Shapiro Show
Morning Wire