News hole : the demise of local journalism and political engagement / Danny Hayes, Jennifer L. Lawless.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hayes, Danny, author.

Lawless, Jennifer L., 1975- author.

Series:

Communication, Society and Politics.

Communication, society and politics

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Journalism, Regional--Political aspects--United States.

Journalism, Regional.

Local mass media--United States.

Local mass media.

Press and politics--United States--History--20th century.

Press and politics.

Press and politics--United States--History--21st century.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xiv, 216 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2021.

Summary:

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.

Contents:

Cover

Half-title

Series information

Title page

Copyright information

Contents

List of Figures

List of Tables

Acknowledgments

1 The Local Political Engagement Puzzle

Local Political Engagement and Its Downward Slide

Why the Decline of Newspapers Matters and How to Prove It

Documenting the Decline in Local News

Establishing a Relationship between Local News and Citizen Engagement

Reinvigorating Citizen Interest in Local News

What Happens If We Lose Local News

2 The Great Gutting of US Newspapers

The Rise and Fall of US Newspapers

Tracking Local News Coverage over Time

Sample of Daily Newspapers

Content Analysis of News Coverage

The Catastrophic Loss of Local News Reporting

Can Local TV and Internet Start-Ups Fill the Void?

Local TV

Local News Start-Ups

Conclusion

3 Where Local News Has Suffered Most

The Local News Crisis at Big and Small Newspapers

The News Hole Shrinks, Especially in Major Dailies

Cuts to Local Politics Are Severe, Especially at the Smallest Papers

The Types of Local Coverage That Got the Ax

School Board and County Government Coverage Are Cut Disproportionately

Fewer Reporters Means Less Schools Coverage

As Circulation Drops, County Coverage Loses Value

Quality over Quantity?

4 As Local News Goes, So Goes Political Engagement

Why Not Everyone Blames Local News for the Decline in Engagement

Local Newspaper Reading and Local Political Engagement

Turnout in Mayoral Elections

Interest in Local Government and Americans' Online Searches

Knowledge and Participation in US House Elections

Tracking the Decline in Citizen Engagement in US House Elections

5 Everyone Loses When Local News Declines

Whose Engagement Declines When Local News Disappears?.

Political Interest and Local News Consumption

Different Communities, Similar Declines in Engagement

Without News, Citizens of All Kinds Disengage

6 Saving Local News

The Pressing Problem of Weak Consumer Demand

A New Approach to Increasing Consumer Demand for Local News

Testing the Argument: An Experimental Approach

George Washington University Politics Poll

Democratic Panel Survey

Election Day Exit Poll Experiments

Closing the Generation Gap in Local News Interest

7 Local News and American Democracy

Less News, Less Accountability

Less News, a Less Influential Public

More Demand, More Democracy

Appendices

Appendix A Interviews with Reporters and Editors at Local Newspapers

Appendix B Staffing Data at Regional Newspapers

Appendix C Newspaper Sampling for Local Politics Content Analysis

Appendix D Newspapers Included in the Local Politics Content Analysis

Appendix E Content Analysis of Local News Coverage

Local Politics Coverage

Other Topics

News Hole

Reliability and Accuracy of Measures

Appendix F Content Analysis of TV News Coverage

Appendix G Analysis of Internet Start-Ups

Appendix H The Cooperative Congressional Election Study Data, 2016-2019

Measures of Political Engagement: 2016-2019

Appendix I Mayoral Election Turnout Data

Appendix J Google Trends Data

Appendix K Citizen Engagement in Congressional Elections

US House Election Content Analysis

The 2010 CCES and 2010-2014 CCES Panel Study

Appendix L Arlington and Charlottesville Exit Polls

Protocol

Questionnaire

Arlington County Exit Poll, November 6, 2018

City of Charlottesville Exit Poll, November 4, 2019

Sample

References

Index.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 08 Sep 2021).

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-108-88302-8

1-108-89251-5

1-108-87694-3

OCLC:

1285167248