Rebuild Local News Founder Steven Waldman
by Natalie Hanson
commentary posted March 2
(ChicoSol coverage of the nationwide local news crisis has received support from an Ethnic Media Services fellowship.)
The rapid erosion of local news across the country is nothing short of a five-alarm emergency for democracy — and it will take creativity and commitment to keep democracy’s fourth pillar standing.
Butte County affairs are covered by only a few news outlets that employ a handful of journalists. Research shows reduced local news coverage is linked to less government transparency and reduced civic engagement. Most citizens do not have time to carefully monitor the use of their tax dollars and attend public meetings that reporters once watched closely.