Expanding Deserts, Shifts in Ownership, and Expanded Digital Coverage. Medill’s 2024 Report: A More Holistic Snapshot of a Rapidly Changing Local News Industry – “An introduction to the 2024 State of Local News Report by Tim Franklin, Senior Associate Dean and John M. Mutz Chair in Local News and Director of the Medill Local News Initiative. Welcome to the third installment of Medill’s annual State of Local News Report, a research project designed to provide new insights and to identify trends in the nation’s fast-changing local news ecosystem. Our research this year unearthed major changes with significant implications for the news industry, our communities and our democracy. The loss of local newspapers is continuing at an alarming pace, deepening the local news crisis and further depriving people of information they need to make informed decisions. Local news deserts are spreading. A furious pace of mergers and acquisitions is underway, as many longtime newspaper owners bail, and regional chains capitalize on opportunities. Meanwhile, the number of standalone digital local news sites has continued to grow. With this year’s report, the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University is continuing to expand its research to provide a more holistic view of local news in the U.S. For the first time, this report includes a new dataset showing the growing number of network local news sites, such as those operated by Patch, Axios and others. Medill also conducted an extensive survey to get a handle on the growing number of “ghost newspapers”: those that operate in name only and that have virtually no original local reporting. The local news crisis isn’t just about the loss of local outlets; it’s also about the diminution of community coverage…”