When Local News Disappears, Cities Have to Show Up

America is losing local news at an alarming rate. Some 50 million Americans now live in "news deserts," communities with little or no access to reliable, original local reporting.

Less local journalism means less accountability, and fewer people participate. Studies have found that when communities lose local newspapers, municipal voter turnout declines, residents become less informed about local issues, and local governments often operate less efficiently because fewer people are paying attention.

Communications teams are the new front door to local government. That doesn't mean replacing journalists. It means recognizing that your website, newsletters, social media, podcasts, videos, and 311 updates now carry more responsibility than ever before.

This part really matters: Local journalism has always helped people understand how government decisions affect their daily lives. As those trusted news sources disappear, cities can no longer assume someone else will explain why a road is closed, how a budget decision affects residents, or why local elections matter. If government wants trust, and participation, it has to communicate consistently, transparently, and in plain language.

Think like a newsroom. Don't only announce decisions. Explain why they matter, what happens next, and how residents can stay involved. Tell stories.

Create multiple ways for people to stay informed. Raleigh, North Carolina, recently launched its Your City, Answered podcast, responding directly to residents' questions about city services and decisions. Cities don't need to replace journalists, but they do need to make government easier to understand.

Tell the stories behind the services. Residents rarely see the work happening behind the scenes. Show them the people fixing water lines, maintaining parks, answering 311 requests, or preparing for emergencies.

Invest in communication before the crisis. Trust isn't built during an emergency. It's built every day before one happens.

Real Connection > Perfect Messaging.

Pick one recent council agenda item.

Now ask yourself:

"If someone missed the meeting, could they understand why this mattered in less than 60 seconds?"

If the answer is no, rewrite it like you're explaining it to your neighbor, not another government employee.

Then ask yourself one more question:

"If the local newspaper never covered this meeting, would residents still understand why it mattered?"

If the answer is no, you've found your next story.

This is basically the whole reason I started Oh, hi! Stories. Every episode is a conversation with someone who thinks about how we connect with and show up for the people around us: former mayors, public servants, storytellers, a former Sprint CEO, my old MTV mentor. People who, in their own way, make their corner of the world work a little better.

If this issue resonated, the podcast is the longer version of it.