Local news deserts in the UK: What effect is the decline in provision of local news and information having on communities?

This report investigates the conditions for local news in seven communities in the UK. Based on focus groups and interviews in these communities, its main findings are that: - Social media are now dominant in local news and information systems, used for a range of local information and communication functions as well as to access local news websites - Social media use and interactions are seen as causes of local social division and sources of misinformation - Local newspapers are no longer perceived as ‘community glue’, holding community identity and collective emotion. Some respondents even characterised local news websites as provocative ‘clickbait’, mostly devoid of nuanced or positive reporting - Local government is considered to be poorly scrutinised by journalists (though in some communities coverage still exceeded that of other institutions) - National institutions and local public services – including the NHS, police, education and the environment – are thought to be both under-reported and misrepresented - Local news providers are seen as repeating institutional lines by publishing press releases uncritically instead of reporting independently - There is a significant lack of knowledge about local politics and current affairs (in two communities there was virtually no awareness of imminent local government reorganisation). This unfamiliarity appears to be driving distrust - Respondents reported struggling to access basic local information - Poor new-media literacy skills and lack of access to digital media due to poverty prevent many from accessing local news and information online - Respondents want a trusted, locally based, professional and accessible source of local news, that reports and investigates local issues and institutions, and publishes positive stories that help bind the community together