US efforts to help local journalism may not be enough

Significance

Pew found a correlation between attachment to a local community and interest in local policy and election news. A New York state programme to help local journalism with tax credits may offer a template for other states to provide support.

Impacts

• Ideologically oriented local media, separate from independent journalism, will grow with funds from politically motivated donors.
• Strengthening local journalism may be one means to combat the spread of online misinformation.
• A decline in local investigative news reporting has been linked with a rise in instances of public corruption.