The decline of the local news industry is not a simple equation of supply or demand for local news and information — instead, it has been a spiral of declining interest from audiences and advertisers, declining resources and quality from the news organization, and declining value.
At what point in this spiral do local newspapers close or merge? What are the common factors and indicators of a point of no return? And for those still running news organizations, thinking of starting new ones or committing resources to creating informed communities, what can be learned about sustainability?
This report examines data about newspapers themselves alongside factors such as demographics and community type (rural, suburban, or urban) to develop profiles of papers that have closed or merged with another over the previous four years.
Read more from the Center for Innovation and Sustainability in Local Media
