Local media, local strength

By Stan Zoller

Back in the 1970s, when newspapers reigned supreme, Time, Inc. considered buying two suburban Chicago weekly chains to create a suburban daily newspaper.

A federal anti-trust suit ruled against Time’s effort and the plan was dropped – but not before Time executives started a campaign touting the idea.

Part of their efforts included a catch phrase that “The root of suburban is urban” to show that suburban communities were microcosms of the cities they surround.

How times have changed.

While the nation’s large municipalities still dominate the geographical landscape, the roots of the political landscape are now taking hold in suburban and rural areas of the country.

Now, in journalism, as in politics, local is the word.

The advent of hyperlocal media and local news aggregates and local social media pages and outlets continues to grow not only in numbers, but also in impact. The role of local media outlets, which includes scholastic media, is taking on new roles in addition to reporting about their communities.

The importance in local news outlets is good news / bad news. According to a 2021 report by the Poynter Institute, while local media outlets in general are fading from the journalism scene, during the pandemic. The report said a study by Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism found that “more than 70 local newsrooms launched in the United States in 2020 and 2021”. It also reported that more than 50 local newsletters started publishing in that time.

According to Penny Abernathy, visiting professor at Medill, “the majority of digital startups sprang up around major metro areas”, sparked by “better access to for-profit and philanthropic funding.”

However, it’s not all seashells and balloons for local media. Medill reported in its State of Local News Report 2024 that “the number of local news deserts expanded in the U.S. this year with 127 newspapers shuttering, leaving nearly 55 million Americans with limited to no access to local news.”

That does not, however, diminish the importance of local coverage for news consumers. Pew Research reported in May of last year that, among other findings, “Americans still see value in local news and local journalists. A large majority say local news outlets are at least somewhat important to the well-being of their local community. Most people also say local journalists are in touch with their communities and that their local news media perform well at several aspects of their jobs, such as reporting the news accurately.”

That role is holding local governments – city councils, village boards, park board – and school boards – accountable and transparent. While pundits may say this is becoming more important with the change of administration in Washington, it’s a vital fundamental of journalism, especially with the ongoing explosion of social media outlets where consumers often take little, if any, time to verify information and ascertain a difference between fact and opinion.

For student journalists, it’s no different. Student media, like mainstream media outlets, are community news outlets and have the same responsibilities when it comes to government transparency.

Student journalists can make a difference at the local level, so much so that Richard Watts spearheaded the formation of the Community News Service program at the University of Vermont, which provides student-reported stories for local outlets. In essence, the program pays a professional editor to work directly with students and classes and act as liaison with the school’s  media partners around the state.

At Miami University of Ohio, When the local paper closed in Oxford, Ohio, Miami University faculty created the Oxford Observer, the only source of local news in town.

Covering local governments entails not only reporting what happened, but why it happened. Public bodies in many states are required by law to provide time for members of the public to comment. Regulations may vary. Some boards will limit general comments to topics not on the posted agenda. Comments on items posted on the agenda are typically included when that item is discussed. This may vary by governing body as does the amount of time a member has to make a comment to the Board or Council. School boards generally have stringent time constraints, often only two or three minutes. The longest time allowed for public comment that I have seen is 10 minutes by a village board.

Most public bodies require persons making comments to either sign up prior to the meeting or identify themselves before commenting. In either case, they are generally asked to give their name and address.

This is important because it may give an indication as to why they are addressing a board. Public comments are public record and can be used in reporting. If you are covering a meeting, it’s a good idea, if not an imperative one, to not only get the person’s name and address, but also any affiliation they may have with an organization that may be trying to influence a policy or decision by the body. If the person does not reveal it prior to his/her remarks, check with the secretary or clerk to see if they have the information. Knowing your state’s open meetings act, sunshine laws and freedom of information acts will have specific guidelines as to what us available to not only the public, but the media as well.

The Student Press Law Center has, not surprising, details about laws and advocacy at its website.

With the political climate changing in the United States, there has been an uptick in special interest groups trying to influence public bodies on a variety of issues ranging from location of marijuana dispensaries to curriculum content.

Vigilant research and reporting of contentious topics at the national level should serve as a yellow flag as the potential for “trickle down” impact is a strong possibility. Monitoring other governing bodies with proximity to your school is highly recommended as is monitoring positions of state senators and representatives. Be proactive by checking websites and social media sites to try and determine what topics are frequently being discussed and what positions are being taken by participants.

Merely localizing stories from major metropolitan media doesn’t cut it anymore because when it comes to local impact, urban is no longer the root of suburban.