News Format Preferences
The local news landscape has undergone profound changes in the last 20 years as both news consumers and producers evolve to the digital news environment. However, in many rural communities across the country, local newsrooms face significant challenges in providing high-quality journalism due to outdated technology, limited resources, and underinvestment.
The Pew Research Center’s most recent survey (2024) regarding people’s preferred pathways to local news indicates more Americans prefer getting their local news online, through news websites or social media. Less than 1 in 10 Americans prefer getting their local news from a print newspaper or on the radio. Furthermore, of those who do still get local news from newspapers, nearly two-thirds prefer to access it through a digital edition rather than print.
The Pew Research Center’s updated News Platform Fact Sheet (Sept 2024) confirms the majority of Americans (86%) at least sometimes get news from a smartphone, computer or tablet. Just 24% reported they often or sometimes get news from print, the lowest number recorded in surveys to date.
Local newsrooms are the lifeblood of their small communities, yet they struggle to keep pace with the rapid changes in media technology and the demands of an increasingly digital audience.
