As Local Journalism Declines, Can Your Organization Step Up?
March 4, 2024
The news about news keeps getting worse.
Almost daily, we hear about major metro newspapers laying off reporters, discontinuing sections, or cutting back their distribution. Mid-size and smaller newspapers are doing the same, with some folding entirely.
For social good organizations, the decline of traditional local media presents a clear challenge.
But it also creates an opportunity for your organization to reimagine its role in informing and engaging your community.
Americans still crave information. They’re just consuming it in different ways.
Rather than spreading out the morning paper over the breakfast table, they’re gobbling up content through their smartphones, laptops, and watches.
So instead of simply bemoaning the end of an era, now is the time to rethink how to use communications to advance your mission.
Here are five questions that can help you get started:
1. Are we telling compelling stories that will engage and grow our audience?
The way stories are being told is rapidly evolving. But what won’t change is the fact the human brain craves stories. It’s a big part of how we learn.
Stories that engage hearts and minds can move people to action. Take a closer look at how you’re telling your stories, and whether they are framed in ways that will resonate with your audience.
2. Are we providing enough context in our content?
With fewer people consuming traditional journalism, many of us aren’t getting access to credible information about the specifics and complexity of important issues.
This creates opportunities for social good organizations to provide background and context to increase understanding. Rather than relying on a third party to provide that context, you can use your expertise to inform and, hopefully, change minds.
3. Are we sharing stories and information consistently enough?
The local newspaper used to arrive at doorsteps each morning, allowing readers to keep up with stories as they evolved. To fill that void, do you need to develop a more consistent cadence for your communications so you become known as a go-to source for reliable and useful information?
4. Are we missing opportunities to grow our audience?
This question speaks largely to the channels and formats you are using to share information.
Do you finally need to get on TikTok to engage the next generation of supporters? Should you invest in video capabilities to attract potential supporters who prefer watching over reading? Also, are you presenting information in ways that invite new people to learn more about your organization and what is important to you?
5. Are there tactics that local media relied on that we can adopt?
The best local newspapers often go beyond their written content to use different ways to inform and engage their audience.
Could you explore convening a diverse community advisory board, hosting local forums on key issues, or sponsoring debates for local candidates? Are there certain issues for which you could assume a more aggressive watchdog role?
Of course, behind most of these questions is an investment of time and money. Certainly, social good organizations don’t have the resources to fully replace the role that newspapers once played.
But this exercise will likely surface some ways in which you can raise your visibility, serve the public good, and provide information and storytelling in regular and meaningful ways.
After all, if you don’t serve this role, who will?