Six ways local news strengthens democracy

As the U.S. midterm elections approach, Rebuild Local News reviewed a growing body of research on how local news encourages civic participation and strengthens democracy. The findings go beyond whether people turn out to vote. The studies reveal how the presence of local coverage can affect what people know about candidates and elected officials, how politicians respond to constituents, and how communities understand the electoral process itself.

The research points to six ways local news can matter for democratic processes:

• Knowledge: Local coverage helps people learn about candidates and representatives.
• Candidate competition: Newsroom decline can produce fewer candidates and more incumbent victories.
• Voting behavior: Local information can reduce reliance on national party cues and encourage more candidate- and policy-based voting and result in less partisan polarization.
• Accountability: Politicians respond differently when they face greater local scrutiny.
• Turnout: Communities with stronger local news tend to have higher participation.
• Election confidence: Local journalism can reduce the extent to which perceptions of election integrity are driven by partisan identity.

Taken together, these findings tell a clear story. When local news declines, the connection between voters and their government tends to weaken. Below, we look at evidence behind each finding.

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