Severe shortage of local journalists threatens U.S. communities

The decline of journalism in the United States has reached critical levels, with reports indicating a staggering drop of more than 75 percent in the number of journalists since the start of the century. This significant reduction has left approximately one-third of U.S. counties without any full-time journalists, highlighting a dramatic shift in local news coverage. As a result, many communities, both rural and urban, have become 'news deserts,' where residents struggle to access relevant information that impacts their daily lives and civic engagement. The report highlights the troubling fact that even as the U.S. population continues to grow, the number of journalists available for local coverage has dramatically decreased. The study, conducted by the non-profit organization Rebuild Local News and the journalism aggregator Muck Rack, demonstrates that the average number of journalists per 100,000 residents has plummeted from 40 in 2002 to just 8.2 in 2025. The implications of this loss are profound, as vital local stories, including those about school boards, community events, and public safety, are increasingly left untold. Communities that previously relied on local journalism for essential information face challenges in staying informed and connected, affecting civic engagement and local governance. While some states exhibit better retention of local journalists, others, like Nevada, lag significantly behind, with examples such as Vermont having five times more local journalists per capita. Nonprofit initiatives, like Vermont Digger and Seven Days, have successfully stepped in to address some of the gaps left by traditional media, illustrating a potential pathway for revitalizing local news across the nation. However, overall trends remain discouraging, as the advertising market becomes dominated by larger tech firms and traditional news outlets struggle to adapt. The consequences of these changes are far-reaching, as neighborhoods might only see sporadic coverage on major crimes without ongoing journalism to address critical community issues like public health, education, and local elections. As reported, cities like Los Angeles and Phoenix also suffer from insufficient local reporting, diminishing public access to reliable information. Steven Waldman, president of Rebuild Local News, aims to draw attention to these pressing issues through data, with the hope that it motivates philanthropic investments, entrepreneurial opportunities, and policy changes to enhance local news sustainability.