I chair the communications committee of a local nonprofit. At a recent board meeting, I was presenting ideas for supporting our current fundraising campaign. While sharing some analytics about which local news outlets were most effective for driving website traffic, I noted how stories covered by Patch consistently were top performers for another organization I advise.
One of my fellow board members suggested it might be because Patch doesn’t charge a subscription fee when others do; and then she said, “It’s really off-putting for people when they click on a link to a story and there’s a paywall.” (Cue the record scratch sound effect.)
Admittedly, she walked back the word “off-putting” right away, and I know it’s not really what she meant. Frankly, most (if not all) of us regularly bail on articles or search for another source once we hit the “You’ve reached your limit” pop-up. That said, it was a sad reminder of how many people are uninterested or simply unwilling to pay for journalism in 2023.
The particular news site we were talking about, The Village Green, charges $55 a year for a subscription. In exchange for $4.58 per month, we get two professional journalists and a team of freelancers covering our hyperlocal news — elections, crime, the schools, neighbors, township rules and regulations. And they do it all while operating with the same level of care and integrity our firm sees from journalists working for much larger operations.
We always tell clients when they’re writing op-eds, don’t just state the problem, but offer a solution or a call to action. So, here I am, urging you to think about the role local news plays in your life and the things you can do to support the outlets that bring it to you.
Consider taking one or more of these actions:
- Subscribe to at least one local news outlet. I appreciate that the services we all subscribe to are stacking up and you may be trying to streamline some of those costs. Local news is not a redundant service. Local outlets cover what’s happening in your backyard like no television station or regional newspaper can.
- Give the gift of a subscription. Not sure what to give a local news junkie friend for their birthday or a recent college grad? Maybe you know someone who is moving away but is still interested in following the news. A subscription can be a really thoughtful gift and one you can feel good about giving.
- Donate a subscription. Contact your local news outlet and see if there’s a way to donate a subscription. In my community, The Village Green offers free or subsidized subscriptions to people who can’t afford them and I’m sure they’d appreciate benefactors. You can also check with your local library, school, community center or senior center to see if they’d benefit from a subscription.
- Connect with local media. Local journalists are your neighbors and you can build relationships with them. Send a note to thank them for their coverage (an election cycle is a great time to do this!). They get plenty of complaints. Balance that out with notes of appreciation. Follow the news media on social and engage with their content to help amplify it. The more likes, comments and shares, the more people will see and read their stories.
- Provide financial support. People often think advertisers cover the entire cost of producing news content. While true once upon a time, that economic model is no longer viable. If you own a business or are involved in a nonprofit, think about how you can partner with your local media to support your organization’s goals. You can buy ads, of course, but there are other ways to collaborate, such as sponsored articles and emails, event participation and paid social media. Local news is often read with more intent than national outlets, making it a great way to reach people!
Educate yourself on the issue
There are several organizations working to support local news outlets across the country. Their websites, email newsletters and social channels are a great source of information. Check out The American Journalism Project to educate yourself on the decline of local news (spoiler alert: 2,100 local newspapers have closed) and the implications for our communities — and society — when there is no objective reporting.
And, next time you hit a paywall, instead of grunting in frustration, perhaps you’ll think about the people who produced the news that caught your attention and consider supporting their work.