The number of U.S. counties without a locally based source of professional news has increased at a record pace, according to the latest “State of Local News” report from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.
In the past year, 170 U.S. newspapers have closed or merged, at a rate of more than three per week. Many were the last remaining source of original news in their communities.
The number of counties classified as “news deserts”—areas without locally based sources of professional news—rose by 26 to 238, the largest single-year increase Medill researchers have recorded. Newspaper closures in rural Midwestern communities drove the expansion.
Another 1,400-plus counties have just one source of local news. Together, these findings mean that nearly 47 million Americans live with limited or no access to local news.
For the report, Medill researchers evaluated whether outlets consistently publish original, locally focused reporting that addresses their communities’ critical information needs.
Nearly 8,400 outlets currently provide local news across the United States. More than 5,400, or nearly 65%, are newspapers. Of those still producing original local reporting, 84% publish once or twice a week. Nearly 900 publish more than three times weekly.
The local news landscape also includes nearly 1,900 digital-only sites, more than 300 public broadcasters and 678 television newsrooms.
As newspapers continue to disappear, so do journalism jobs. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data cited in the report, the newspaper industry lost more than 7,500 jobs between 2024 and 2025, a decline of more than 8%. That contraction was similar to the previous year’s rate.
For further reading on PRsay: Local News Deserts Leave Residents Uninformed, Encourage Misinformation
Illustration credit: Thabo
