Local News’ Transition to Paid Content In the Context of Layoffs, Mergers and Bankruptcies III

Organizations have adjusted their philosophies and strategies toward platforms, particularly Facebook. Recognizing the risks of relying on Facebook for significant portions of their traffic, interviewees described efforts to scale back, using the platform more strategically to attract subscribers, extend reach to new readers, and deepen relationships with existing groups and communities.

Efforts to create a sustainable local press have been complicated by the coronavirus pandemic. Local news organizations’ advertising has dwindled, newsstand sales and deliveries have declined, the events business is struggling, and staff members are facing furloughs and layoffs. This is despite the record spikes in traffic for many local outlets as readers seek local updates on testing, closures, and infection rates. In response, governments have adjusted taxes on e-newspapers and, in the case of the UK, announced national advertising campaigns.

Despite these challenges, in the continuing ‘pivot to paid’ local news organizations have remained focused on helping their readers and communities recognize why local and regional newspapers’ content is worth supporting, which has helped news organizations reconnect with the mission of local news. This emphasis could play an important role in helping local and regional news organizations continue to innovate and reinforce the vital functions they serve in communities, even as competing sources of information emerge and as they respond to the significant challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.