Local news in the United States and around the world are in decline. As media increasingly becomes national and global, available at the click of a button, there are fewer resources available for the local journalists doing the hard work of holding the powerful accountable, connecting community, and creating a shared sense of identity. Three journalists discuss the intersection of their work with democracy and how the challenges facing local news contribute to global and local threats to democracy.
Karen Coates is an independent journalist who covers food, environment, health, and human rights globally. Jessica Onsurez is the award-winning News Director of the Carlsbad Current-Argus, Alamogordo Daily News and Ruidoso News and Rashad Mahmood (moderator) is the Co-Director of the New Mexico Local News Fund and 2021 John S. Knight Community Impact Fellow.