Local News Crisis Deepens as News Deserts Expand Across the U.S.

The latest Medill report highlights significant declines in local newspapers, with 55 million Americans now lacking adequate local news coverage.

In 2023, 127 newspapers closed, leaving 208 U.S. counties without any local news sources and 1,563 counties with only one.
Newsroom employment has dropped significantly, with more than 7,000 newspaper jobs lost in the past year, including nearly 2,000 journalist positions.
Despite the decline, there is a net gain of 81 digital news startups, though many are former print newspapers moving online.
Philanthropic efforts in journalism are heavily concentrated in urban areas, with 97% of grants going to metropolitan communities.
Microsoft and OpenAI have launched a $10 million initiative to help news organizations integrate AI, aiming to enhance operations and audience reach.