As local newspapers disappear, communities are left with increased political polarization and a growing distrust of media and journalism.
In the current political climate, Colorado State University experts are stressing local journalism’s role in fostering trust, addressing community issues and reducing political polarization and division. Matthew Hitt, an associate political science professor at CSU, emphasized the importance of local newspapers and how they can impact elections.
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“When a local community loses its paper, then the residents of that community are less likely to split their tickets between parties in subsequent elections,” Hitt said. “It’s not just polarization of feelings, it’s a polarization of actual voting outcomes that comes with losing your source of geographically based political news.”
Hitt said local newspapers serve a unique purpose, as they address issues that matter to residents regardless of political affiliation. By focusing on shared experiences like weather, housing or community events, local media helps build a sense of unity among community members and shed light on their similarities rather than their differences.
Martín Carcasson, a communication studies professor and the founder and director of CSU’s Center for Public Deliberation, said local journalism can be more diverse than national coverage and provide information readers cannot get anywhere else.
“Local media can be a source of information that people aren’t getting elsewhere because national outlets don’t focus on local issues,” Carcasson said. “When addressing local issues, there’s a broader range of actors, local government, nonprofits and organizations offering different ways to solve problems.”
The inclusivity in local media coverage is unlike the more polarized framing used in national media coverage. Carcasson said many people now consume news from partisan outlets, deepening political division.
“Many younger people avoid traditional news sources altogether, gleaning information from podcasts, social media and online communities. Both the messaging and the algorithmic dimensions of these alternative news sources often breed cynicism and distrust of news sources that don’t confirm people’s existing beliefs.” -Karrin Vasby Anderson, CSU communication studies professor
Hitt described an experiment conducted in Palm Springs, California, which highlighted the connection between national news exposure and increased political polarization.
During the experiment, a local newspaper removed all references to national politics from its opinion columns for one month and compared political polarization with a different local news outlet that continued to run national politics.
Hitt said political polarization stayed level in the community where national politics weren’t being published, but it increased in the community where national politics were still being reported.
“We think this probably happened in part because we were talking about local issues,” Hitt said. “So in Palm Springs, they were talking about traffic; they were talking about housing; they were talking about biking; they were talking about building a minor league hockey arena. Emphasizing a crosscutting identity can turn down some of those polarized feelings. … Maybe we don’t have to feel like I’m losing when the other side is gaining.”
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Karrin Vasby Anderson, a CSU communication studies professor, added that the recent decline of local newspapers has driven readers to rely on partisan cable news sources and newer media platforms for information.
“As local newspapers shut down, people turned to partisan cable news sources that rely more heavily on infotainment and punditry and operate according to a business model that produces programming designed to keep audiences alarmed or outraged,” Anderson said.
Anderson explained how the shift to different news mediums, such as social media, has led to increased political polarization as well.
“Many younger people avoid traditional news sources altogether, gleaning information from podcasts, social media and online communities,” Anderson said. “Both the messaging and the algorithmic dimensions of these alternative news sources often breed cynicism and distrust of news sources that don’t confirm people’s existing beliefs.”
Despite the challenges facing local journalism, experts remain hopeful and point to nonprofit models, such as The Colorado Sun, to rebuild the field as new media platforms evolve.
“I wouldn’t say that I’m totally pessimistic on local journalism — there are innovative models out there,” Hitt said. “I really like the Colorado Sun, which is a nonprofit online newspaper. … I think that’s easily high quality political journalism.”
Hitt emphasized local journalism can improve and reduce polarization in today’s political climate as long as communities support it.
“If you want (local news) to exist, you have to support it,” Hitt said. “And as we support it, the product might get better.”
Reach Laila Shekarchian at news@collegian.com or on social media @CSUCollegian.
