The recent announcement of the Branson Tri-Lakes News shuttering caused concern among readers, advertisers, and public officials. However, a group of local investors are reviving the Branson paper. Local newspapers play a unique role in many communities, yet are struggling across the country as news and media continue to fragment.
State of Local News
A report by Northwestern University found that almost 40% of all local US newspapers have vanished, leaving 50 million Americans with limited or no access to a reliable source of local news since 2005. The report also stated that over the past two decades, print newspaper circulation across the United States has dropped by an estimated 80 million, a loss of 70% from 2005 levels.
In Springfield, the Daily Citizen was launched in February 2022 to fill the void left by declining local news sources. The Daily Citizen is financially supported by subscribers, community partners, and local citizen donors who believe in the mission and vision of informing the community and being a catalyst for good.
The Daily Citizen is a member of the Institute for Nonprofit News, which supports a network of over 500 independent news sources that are nonprofit, nonpartisan, and dedicated to public service. Community support is key for nonprofit news, with roughly 63% of the Daily Citizen’s total revenue coming from subscriptions and sponsorships/advertising sales.
Original reporting: Springfield Daily Citizen — read the source article.
