Local journalism: democracy’s low-key ground game

During a presidential election, it’s easy to see politics as a clash of titans playing out in packed stadiums and brightly lit television studios, with millions in ad dollars spent to package candidates and turn out their supporters for one fateful day in November. But philanthropic funders have found a different way to support democracy, one that plays out daily in local communities across the country, mostly far from the spotlight, year in and year out.

Investing in local journalism strengthens democracy in a range of ways that researchers are starting to quantify, now that so many of the local newspapers that used to keep communities informed and engaged have shut down or hollowed out. And unlike political advertising, journalism doesn’t tell people how they should vote, but rather equips them with the information to judge what’s best for them and for their communities.

The Democracy Fund has assembled a comprehensive list of research reports that show local journalism is good for democracy. A few of the highlights – communities with local news are less polarized than those where newspapers close and local resident gravitate toward national political tribes. News correlates with increased voter turnout and down-ballot voting. And the accountability and transparency demanded by the press saves taxpayers money.

It’s no wonder that Press Forward, the $500 million initiative to reinvigorate local news, declares that “democracy flourishes when people have access to reliable information,” and Laura Tyson, a former member of President Clinton’s Council of Economic Advisers, writes “To protect democracy, revive local news.”

Yet simply rebuilding local news is not the answer because legacy media usually ignores and often stereotypes communities of color, who, in some places, already make up the majority population. What’s more, ews consumption has changed radically, with young people reporting they get much of their news via social media. At the same time, mis- and disinformation heavily targets communities of color, often with a goal of suppressing voter turnout.

The Pivot Fund exists specifically to identify and support news organizations serving communities of color in this new context, where community trust, journalistic values and digital savvy are the credentials that matter. We help channel funding to local outlets that are off the radar screen of traditional philanthropy but represent the future of local journalism – and of democracy.