Local news has full support of League of Women Voters

SEATTLE, WA – The League of Women Voters of the United States adopted a position in support of local news at its national convention in Washington, D.C. in June.

Ninety-three percent of the 1,000 delegates from Leagues across the country voted for the position that "The League of Women Voters of the United States believes it is the responsibility of the government to provide support for conditions under which credible local journalism can survive and thrive."

The LWVUS defines local news as "accurate, in-depth coverage of government entities, including but not limited to, city councils, county councils, county boards of commissioners, health departments, schools and school boards."

The new national position developed from a 2022 study published by state of Washington League members. The report, "The Decline of Local News and Its Impact on Democracy," tracked the decline of local newspapers statewide and nationally and found that democracy is directly related to credible sources of local news. It is blunt: "Local newspapers are in crisis." Since 2004 over 25 weeklies and three dailies have closed here, roughly 20% of the state's newspapers.

A third of the nation's newspapers are expected to close by the end of this year the study estimated. More than 200 counties nationwide are now considered "news deserts," with no source of reliable local news.

The Washington study echoes national studies, finding with newspaper closures a "the loss of the souls of communities and the glue that holds communities together. When newspapers close voter participation drops. There is "less community engagement and greater political partisanship."

"This is not a journalism problem. It's a democracy problem," concludes Benjamin Shors, from Washington State University's Edward R. Murrow College of Communication.

"The way we get local news has changed since the internet became part of our everyday lives," said Mary Coltrane, president of the League of Women Voters of Washington. "However, the way local news affects our democratic institutions has not changed. Voters must be able to access credible and ethical local news so that they can make decisions about how elected officials govern their communities."

"These are outcomes democracy cannot withstand," said LWVWA President Mary Coltrane. The federal government's historic support of the news industry dates to 1792 when postage subsidies allowed newspapers to be distributed at greatly reduced rates. A variety of currently proposed remedies at both the federal and state levels include tax credits, grants, and collective bargaining with tech giants to compensate newspapers for distribution of their original news content.

The newly adopted position was supported by dozens of state Leagues across the United States. To gain concurrence and adopt the national position, the LWVWA conducted a multi-year study on the topic, adopted the position at the state level, and then proposed the concurrence with the support of many other state Leagues.

Seventy Washington state members attended the convention, including Jane Vilders of Mount Vernon. Read her summary on page 2.

The LWVWA expressed pride at having its position adopted nationally. It is ready to continue the work to improve local news and democracy in Washington.

The 133 page study is rich in examples, interviews and specific working solutions. It looks at philanthropy, non-profits and state and federal legislation as approaches to fixes.

Find the study at lwvwa.org/local-news#Get.

Source: LWVWA