In recent decades, turnout in US presidential elections has soared, education levels have hit historic highs, and the internet has made information more accessible than ever. Yet over that same period, Americans have grown less engaged with local politics and elections. Drawing on detailed analysis of fifteen years of reporting in over 200 local newspapers, along with election returns, surveys, and interviews with journalists, this study shows that the demise of local journalism has played a key role in the decline of civic engagement. As struggling newspapers have slashed staff, they have dramatically cut their coverage of mayors, city halls, school boards, county commissions, and virtually every aspect of local government. In turn, fewer Americans now know who their local elected officials are, and turnout in local elections has plummeted. To reverse this trend and preserve democratic accountability in our communities, the local news industry must be reinvigorated – and soon.
Author(s): Danny Hayes, Jennifer L. Lawless
Series: Communication, Society and Politics
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Year: 2021
Language: English
Pages: 250
City: Cambridge
01.0_pp_i_i_News_Hole
02.0_pp_ii_ii_Communication_Society_and_Politics
03.0_pp_iii_iii_News_Hole
04.0_pp_iv_iv_Copyright_page
05.0_pp_v_vi_Contents
06.0_pp_vii_viii_Figures
07.0_pp_ix_x_Tables
08.0_pp_xi_xiv_Acknowledgments
09.0_pp_1_14_The_Local_Political_Engagement_Puzzle
10.0_pp_15_40_The_Great_Gutting_of_US_Newspapers
11.0_pp_41_62_Where_Local_News_Has_Suffered_Most
12.0_pp_63_89_As_Local_News_Goes_So_Goes_Political_Engagement
13.0_pp_90_107_Everyone_Loses_When_Local_News_Declines
14.0_pp_108_136_Saving_Local_News
15.0_pp_137_144_Local_News_and_American_Democracy
16.1_pp_145_146_Interviews_with_Reporters_and_Editors_at_Local_Newspapers
16.2_pp_147_148_Staffing_Data_at_Regional_Newspapers
16.3_pp_149_151_Newspaper_Sampling_for_Local_Politics_Content_Analysis
16.4_pp_152_158_Newspapers_Included_in_the_Local_Politics_Content_Analysis
16.5_pp_159_164_Content_Analysis_of_Local_News_Coverage
16.6_pp_165_166_Content_Analysis_of_TV_News_Coverage
16.7_pp_167_168_Analysis_of_Internet_Start-Ups
16.8_pp_169_176_The_Cooperative_Congressional_Election_Study_Data_20162019
16.9_pp_177_180_Mayoral_Election_Turnout_Data
16.10_pp_181_182_Google_Trends_Data
16.11_pp_183_192_Citizen_Engagement_in_Congressional_Elections
16.12_pp_193_198_Arlington_and_Charlottesville_Exit_Polls
17.0_pp_199_208_References
18.0_pp_209_216_Index
