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Politics Weekly America Podcast
America’s ‘news deserts’ and what it means for democracy

America’s ‘news deserts’ and what it means for democracy

Politics Weekly America vor 2 Jahren

This week, Joan Greve is joined by Steven Waldman, president and co-founder of Report for America, to discuss why local newspapers are closing down and how this could affect democracy and the 2024 elections

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In the run-up to this year’s election, President Joe Biden has
warned that American democracy is at stake. But when it comes to
the democratic process of an entire nation, might the solution be
local? In an age of declining print media, losses of local
newspapers and journalists are creating ‘news deserts’: areas
bereft of a local paper. But does this matter, or is local news
just a collection of obituaries and classifieds? Especially when
rolling news coverage can be found online? This week, Joan Greve
speaks to the journalist and local news campaigner Steven Waldman,
who argues that in an election year of increasing polarisation, we
need local news more than ever. They will discuss why local
journalism is a fundamental part of building communication,
scrutiny and trust – and what can be done to save it