By Daniel Dow | Editor-in-Chief
Across America, the nation has seen a decline in local news and an increase in what social scientists are calling “news deserts.” News deserts, or media deserts, describe an area that has little to no local news coverage. Although this may not be the norm for all Americans, as news deserts tend to affect more rural areas, it is a growing trend that bears national consequences.
The rise of media deserts is a choice by citizens to not financially support local news that connects the community–local journalists who stir city and town conversation by breaking the latest news to its readers. This should cause concern for all US citizens, as the lack of news is a threat to social and democratic values.
A recent 2019 study by PEN America, a nonprofit organization for literature and freedom of expression, found that as a result of news deserts “Americans are not adequately informed and less likely to engage in political and civic life.” Viktorya Vilk, a co-author of the report states that the lack of availability of local-trustworthy news in a time of rising polarization and disinformation have “consequences [that] can be really dire.”
The study by PEN America indicates that the decline of local news and participation in democracy is a symbiotic relationship–for informed voting to occur, an individual needs access to reliable and trustworthy news. And as a result of this tarnished relationship, we have seen a rise in the spread of disinformation and cracks forming in our democracy.
One of the major rises of disinformation in the United States started back in 2016 with Pizzagate, which has been said to help spur the Qanon movement that started in 2017.
These instances of individuals turning to internet conspiracy theories directly coincides with the growth of news deserts–the inability for communities to interact with their local news–a once trustworthy member of their community. The other alternative is to turn to the national news networks, and with many being caught in scandals, it is easy for their trustworthiness to be called into question.
It is also not uncommon for some of these national news networks to market their opinion as news or fact–causing another concern when it comes to the trustworthiness and reliability of news sources.
This all comes at a time when The Poynter Institute reports that “more than 100 local newsrooms closed during the coronavirus pandemic” and that “Since 2004, about 1,800 newspapers have closed in the United States.” This indicates that many must go elsewhere for their news.
For those that have lost their local news outlets, It is easy to see why an individual would flock to a city or town’s Facebook page to try and connect with their community. In fact, According to the Pew Research Center, “20% of adults in the United States in 2018 said they get their news from social media “often,” compared to 16% who said they often get news from print newspapers.”
Unfortunately, that one-click on a link with an outrageous headline may be all it takes to fall into the trap of consuming unreliable news, which can then easily be shared, often causing the news to spread without regulation or fact-checking. Sara Fischer from Axios reports “In 2020, nearly one-fifth (17%) of engagement among the top 100 news sources on social media came from sources that NewsGuard deems generally unreliable, compared to about 8% in 2019.”
Though the cause for concern for the decline of local news in 2009 may not have been evident at the time, a clearer picture is being painted that individuals are going to social media to fill this void. And with the rise of groups like QANON, it is clear news deserts are having an effect on the democratic process.
It should be stated that freedom of the press does not mean a press that is unaccountable–quite the contrary, citizens should be engaging with their local news agency as it is a member of their community. This, after all, is what stirs local conversation and what inspires or drives people to participate in the voting process.
Unfortunately, the United States is now seeing another growing threat to its national news agencies, as millionaires and billionaires are buying out reputable news outlets such as The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and The Los Angeles Times. This move by the wealthy to purchase some of the most reliable national news networks may be another threat to democracy, as this brings about a concern for news censorship, bias, and distrust in a once-reliable source.
The fact is, like any business, news outlets need to be financially supported by the community it serves, on the national and local level. The support of a more inclusive and informed democracy does not come at a great cost—just the price of a monthly Netflix subscription.
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