Local News and Its Importance to Democracy

Explore the critical role of local news in democracy and the challenges facing independent journalism in America through this 47-minute talk from The Aspen Institute. Discover how the decline of local news has led to issues like ghost papers and misinformation, while learning about innovative efforts to revitalize local journalism. Hear from two local journalism leaders as they discuss topics such as public media, philanthropy in news, the impact of macro forces, and strategies to combat misinformation. Gain insights into the importance of local ownership, building trust, and using data to create sustainable news models. Examine the partisan divide in media consumption and understand why the US ranks last in media trust. Learn about creative approaches to ensure citizens have access to the information necessary for participating in democracy.

Introduction
Meet Mitra Calderon
Meet Stuart VanderWaal
Why Stuart left CNN
Local Ownership
Public Media
The Problem
Macro Forces
Value
Misinformation
Agencies
Trust
Philanthropy
Legacy Media
Loyalty
Data
Human Impact vs Procedure
Audience Questions
US Last in Trust
partisan divide
innovative strategies