Journalism studies to study

For those who work in local news, aspire to, or generally care about the information needs of communities, new research published in recent days provides insight into what people want, what they need — and what happens when they don’t get it.

First, the Civic Information Needs Census, sponsored by the Civic News Company, said that people find it more difficult to stay informed about their own communities than about national and international news, a phenomenon the researchers called a “proximity paradox.” In the survey of 1,765 registered voters nationally, 44% of respondents said it is somewhat or very difficult to get information locally compared with just 26% for national news.

And what happens when people don’t find the local news they need? People in local news deserts go to social media and other non-journalistic sources to stay informed, according to a survey by the Medill Local News Initiative at Northwestern University. At the same time, the authors write, “people in news deserts don’t seem frustrated with their ability to stay informed.”

Yet without local news, people are also more likely to be lonely, according to a new study from researchers at George Washington University, who looked at the relationship between local news availability and loneliness.

Finally, if your news organization is looking to engage people through live events, a new study from the Minnesota Journalism Center in partnership with the nonprofit Alliance for Trust in Media might be useful. It used the Texas Tribune, an industry leader in events, as a case study. One key takeaway: “Events appear to be a useful strategy for deepening engagement with already engaged groups, less clearly a tool for broadening the reach of the organization.”

News In Focus
Headlines, resources and events aligned with API’s four areas of focus.

Civic Discourse & Democracy

>> Too many FOIA requests, too little transparency (CJR) 

Federal Freedom of Information requests have nearly doubled in the past five years, while the number of officers assigned to respond to them has stayed the same, writes C.J. Robinson. Part of the problem is that pink slime publishers and activists are weaponizing FOIA, Robinson writes, citing a Tow Center investigation. As one expert tells Robinson, “it’s only going to get worse.”

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Culture & Inclusion

>> Nonprofit commits $500K to Black media outlets after Black journalists’ arrests (The Root) 

Onyx Impact has launched a half‑million‑dollar campaign to help safeguard the future of Black media infrastructure, writes Asheea Smith. She interviewed Onyx Impact founder and CEO Esosa Osa, who says “the erasure of Black history and progress is an emergency.”

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Community Engagement & Trust

>> API at KMF: Houston Chronicle’s influencer work featured

What happens when a legacy newsroom teams up with an Instagram creator? Members of the team that experimented with a Houston Chronicle collaboration with a local influencer through the API Influencer Learning Cohort are discussing the partnership this morning during the Knight Media Forum. If you’re in Miami, check out the panel and say hello to API’s Robyn Tomlin and Sam Ragland if you see them. Learn more about the outcomes of the collaboration here.

>> Final call: Apply — by COB today — attend our API Local News Summit on Youth Trust and Civic Resilience 

We’re gathering local media decision makers and civic experts in West Palm Beach, Fla., on March 25-26 to talk about ways local news organizations can build trusted relationships with young people. If you’re at a local or community-centered news organization and working on projects that empower young people or equip them for civic engagement, we encourage you to apply. Read more and apply here.

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Revenue & Resilience

>> As Jeff Bezos dismantles The Washington Post, 5 regional papers chart a course for survival (The Conversation) 

Northeastern University journalism professor Dan Kennedy gives five examples of regional newspapers that are successful. Among them: The Boston Globe, The Minnesota Star Tribune, The Seattle Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Salt Lake Tribune. They have varying ownership models, but one commonality is that “they are rooted in the communities they cover.”

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What else you need to know

🎙️Listen: Reporting on immigration and ICE raids featuring Tina Vásquez (The Study Hall podcast)

🤔 New emails show how Epstein used the media to rehab his reputation (Semafor)

🔬 Reporting on flaws in science in an era of mistrust (The Open Notebook)

📺 Senators reconsider FCC broadcast ownership cap amid Nexstar-TEGNA merger push (The Hill)