In recent years, efforts to find a sustainable business model for local news coverage in the U.S. have resulted in the acquisition of local news organizations in different markets by large, national companies. Last week’s announcement of a merger between Gannett and Gatehouse media, which would consolidate ownership of more than 260 local newspapers, is the latest in a trend that also affects local TV, with companies such as Sinclair Broadcast Group buying stations around the country.
Mergers such as these continue to alter the landscape of local news coverage and raise questions about its future. They also cause consumers of local news to express concern for a variety of reasons, including cuts in staffing and resources, the nationalization of news content, and the potential for greater bias in news coverage. CONT.
Megan Brenan & Zacc Ritter, Gallup