NEWS DESERTS ARE ON THE RISE
A HOME FOR LOCAL NEWS AFTER THE NEWSPAPERS
HAVE GONE
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The Problem
Local newspapers are closing at record rates. When a paper closes a NEWS DESERT is created.
News deserts are a problem because local news outlets act as watchdogs for civic institutions and business. When local news doesn’t exist, people only have official announcements, social media or the rumor mill for information.
0
Local news outlets lost since 2004*
0
Counties in the US without any newspaper*
* Data from “The Expanding News Desert” by the University of North Carolina, Center for Innovation and Sustainability in Local Media.
Our Solution
Use public libraries to provide local information, fact check stories and train the public to research and tell the news in their own communities.
Benefits libraries can provide in a news desert:
- Libraries are local
- Libraries are trained in organizing and sharing information
- Libraries are a trusted neutral entity
START A LOCAL FACTLY NEWS
THROUGH YOUR PUBLIC LIBRARY
Libraries are a neutral source and can serve as a fact checker for local communities.