3 ways local journalism can maintain trust
Local journalism has long been the most trusted news source in the United States, but that confidence is rapidly slipping
These gaps in public confidence--and the news deserts left by the loss of 25% of U.S. newspapers in the last 15 years--are being filled by partisan funded sites masquerading as local journalism. Most notable is the growing news network founded by former conservative journalist Brian Timpone.
The New York Times called his enterprise, “a fast-growing network of nearly 1,300 websites that aim to fill a void left by vanishing local newspapers across the country…[Now] in all 50 states, [the chain] is built not on traditional journalism but on propaganda...Mr. Timpone’s network has more than twice as many sites as the nation’s largest newspaper chain, Gannett.” Some suggest liberal groups are behind similar efforts, just to a lesser degree and with more transparent funding mechanisms.
At the end of 2020, the British government released a study directly correlating increases in the circulation of local news publications with increases in civic engagement. Media Minister John Whittingdale spoke to the necessity of local journalism, which is also facing decline in the U.K.: “The direct correlation between local newspaper provision and electoral turnout proves that a healthy democracy, even at a grassroots level, needs high quality local journalism to thrive.” The current global status of local journalism demonstrates an urgent need for legitimate publishers to regain their footing on public trust. Even on a budget, local news publications can play a role.
1) Explain How Journalism Works
To rebuild public trust, publishers must begin explaining how journalism works. If that sounds too simple to be true, a 2020 Pew Research Center study found that between 50-60% of Americans think news media organizations do a poor job explaining how they choose and find sources, whether a story is an opinion piece or reporting, and how they produce their stories.
The study reflects similar public sentiments previously explored by the American Press Institute. Many people didn’t understand what an op-ed is, the difference between an editorial and a news story, what attribution means, or how sourcing and marketing function in the news business. Certainly, governments and educational institutions play a role in increasing media literacy, but it’s also a gap local publishers can fill to increase trust in their work.
This public trust is especially needed in the context of digital journalism. The Reuters Institute notes that most people are overwhelmed by online options and want news media organizations to offer more guidance:
“[News] organisations would benefit from providing clearer cues and signals about who they are, their histories, what they stand for, and how they do their work…[They] should not only make it easier to find information about their missions and journalistic practices but also promote their own unique strengths compared to their competitors in more consistent and memorable ways. Brand reputations – good and bad – cannot always be controlled, but news organisations fail to define their own identities at their peril.”
Publications that explain the intellectual and social process of their work not only benefit public trust and media accuracy, but they also build stronger digital brands distinct from sites that lack the integrity demanded by journalistic ethics.
2) Be Transparent about Funding Sources
Local publishers who are open about how their work is funded will maintain trust. About 3 out of 4 Americans believe news organizations lack clarity about their fiscal sources, and 80% think journalistic content is influenced in some way by corporate and other financial interests.
Indeed, many local publications are funded by large media corporations -- in the U.S., only 25 companies own 2 out of 3 daily newspapers. But regardless of ownership size or structure, there is still a strong incentive for transparency that builds trusting reader relationships.
With the growing need for first party data, publishers of all ownership types (and their advertisers) will benefit from putting reader needs like transparency first. Putting audiences first is a proven way to offer brand value and responsiveness readers require to give up their valuable data.
More financial transparency builds the kind of deep trust that motivates more subscriptions. This benefits publishers’ overall revenue on several fronts, whether or not they are owned by a large corporation.
News organizations who prioritize financial transparency also give local communities vested interest in the success of local publications. It’s not only about winning brand trust at the point of data acquisition, but about the ways transparency creates ongoing brand trust benefitting retention.
Subscriptions are a direct way to encourage reader power: if audiences are worried about who funds local news, encouraging them to participate in funding it themselves through ongoing subscriptions offers wins all around.
Even after an eventful 2020 when local publications saw an overall 50% increase in subscriptions, it still meant only about a quarter of Americans paid for local news between 2018-2020. However, audiences have indicated interest in paying for trustworthy, affordable, and local coverage. Financial transparency that earns deep audience confidence contributes to overall industry trust.
3) Prove Local Publishers Care about Local Communities
When local communities see themselves fairly represented in both coverage and the newsroom, publishers will reap the benefits too. While most Americans are skeptical of news media overall--and consider some skepticism to be a good thing--they also indicate that the industry still has space to build trust.
In fact, local journalists play a critical role since many people will never interact with a journalist outside of their own community. Local populations ranging from Black communities, to young readers, to low-income communities have reflected that news media organizations can improve trust by fairer reporting and hiring practices.
The Pew Research Center explained the importance of this kind of truly local connection, despite local publishers depending more on nonlocal coverage: “Americans who sense their local outlets are well-connected to the community in each of three areas – being in touch with the community, local influence, and geographically focused coverage – are much more likely to evaluate local news reporting positively, be confident in their main news source’s ability to inform them, and say it is easy to find news on a range of different topics.”
Local publishers have more power in the digital media ecosystem than they realize, and leveraging that requires them to regain their edge on local public trust. Education, transparency, and local care are the first steps.