In a society driven by instant gratification, 24-hour news cycles, viral videos and headlines driven by social media algorithms, many small-town newspapers are overlooked. However, across the country local journalism continues to serve a vital role in their communities.
Like many occupations, small-town newspapers face new hardships as the days go by. We have watched print subscriptions decline, as some have switched to e-editions or simply no longer read newspapers and focus on digital habits. Staffs have decreased in size to try and absorb the costs. Across the nation, reporters are often asked to do the jobs of three, cover school board meetings by night after designing pages by day. And for many local papers, there’s no backup; when one journalist burns out or moves on, the whole operation suffers.
