Why Local News: A Memoir and Plea for an Endangered Form of Journalism

A school board vote quietly reshapes your child's education. A mayoral candidate's record goes unexamined. A planning board approves industrial development beside a residential neighborhood. Although it is the responsibility of local news journalists to inform their communities of such developments, their numbers have declined in recent years, contributing to the ebbing of civic engagement.

In this book, a veteran journalist shares firsthand experiences in which ethical local journalism positively influenced institutions and strengthened communities. He analyzes the forces that have dissolved public trust in the press and offers pathways for rebuilding this trust. Offering a defense of local journalism, the author also challenges readers to consider what is lost when responsibly reported local news disappears.

Author: Rick Thames
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: McFarland & Company
Published: 07/23/2026
Pages: 283
Weight: 0.84lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.60d
ISBN: 9781476697666