When local news mapping gained prominence a decade ago, the widespread concern was with news deserts. Now that local news — from journalism outlets, civic information providers, or independent newsfluencers — is available via social media, newsletters, YouTube and elsewhere, people are more likely to feel adrift in information oceans. This paradigm shift requires us to reinvent our understanding of local news provision.
At the same time, the advent of artificial intelligence and advanced computational tools has allowed local news mapping to make giant leaps forward. Research can now go beyond the traditional local news outlet census to analyze content for both breadth of topics covered and detailed geographic coverage areas — down to the census-tract level. ...
This report provides a proof of concept, using Charlotte, North Carolina, as a test case, for both AI-driven methods for mapping news and the paradigm shift toward greater inclusivity. We found that Charlotte has myriad local news and information providers that span topics, neighborhoods and platforms, and we used our newly developed tools to gain visibility into how specific segments of local news providers add value, and where conditions can be improved. We conclude with recommendations for Charlotte’s local news funders and publishers and for improvements to our research program going forward.
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