Americans can name cabinet members, Supreme Court justices, and political influencers, but many are unable to name a single local elected official. We spend hours following the latest drama in Washington while paying little attention to the decisions being made in our own communities.
The challenge facing local journalism isn’t merely declining trust or political polarization. Part of the challenge is that local journalism has to compete for our attention against national headlines, viral posts, and endless notifications. If local journalism disappears, it may not be because people hated it. It may be because they forgot to look.