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Political scientists & journalism researchers actually understand quite a lot about this crisis & have been raising the alarm for some time.
Beyond Priyanjana Bengani’s ( @acookiecrumbles) excellent work on this specific topic ( https://www.cjr.org/analysis/as-election-looms-a-network-of-mysterious-pink-slime-local-news-outlets-nearly-triples-in-size.php),">https://www.cjr.org/analysis/... we also know... [1/8] https://twitter.com/seanilling/status/1318172496399683585">https://twitter.com/seanillin...
Beyond Priyanjana Bengani’s ( @acookiecrumbles) excellent work on this specific topic ( https://www.cjr.org/analysis/as-election-looms-a-network-of-mysterious-pink-slime-local-news-outlets-nearly-triples-in-size.php),">https://www.cjr.org/analysis/... we also know... [1/8] https://twitter.com/seanilling/status/1318172496399683585">https://twitter.com/seanillin...
... As local papers close, voters are more polarized, relying more on national news & party labels https://academic.oup.com/joc/article/68/6/1007/5160090">https://academic.oup.com/joc/artic... ( @joshuadarr, @matthewhitt, @jldhouston) [2/8]
Local US newspaper closures have also been associated with declines in civic engagement more generally. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10584609.2012.762817">https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/... ( @Lee_Shaker) [3/8]
Reductions in local news coverage of congressional races have also preceded reduced rates of voter turnout, less knowledgeable electorates. https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/694105">https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/1... (Hayes & @jenlawlessUVA). [4/8]
Of course what passes for local news these days often isn’t actually very local at all https://www.niemanlab.org/2018/08/an-analysis-of-16000-stories-across-100-u-s-communities-finds-very-little-actual-local-news/">https://www.niemanlab.org/2018/08/a... ( @pmnapoli @docmattweber et al) [5/8]
Ownership changes on the supply side are one of the important factors resulting in increases in the supply of national (& right-wing) content on local tv news in the US https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-political-science-review/article/local-news-and-national-politics/C8EEA488A777C37C7987964F8F85AEB5">https://www.cambridge.org/core/jour... ( @gregmartinphd & @joshmccrain) [6/8]
Lastly, losing the only news provider serving one’s local community isn’t just about politics; it can also impact people’s sense of place. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1464884920957885">https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/1... (by @UMN_HSJMC’s own @Nick_Mathews).
See also @nikkiusher’s impt work on this topic ( https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1522637919848362)">https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/1... [7/8]
See also @nikkiusher’s impt work on this topic ( https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1522637919848362)">https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/1... [7/8]
No doubt there remains much we don’t yet know about the relationship between these local trends and the national political climate. But let’s not pretend like this crisis is some kind of mystery... [8/8]
