Objective news is getting more difficult to come by. Following the merging of several large news companies and countless local papers into Ganett, debt has overwhelmed the company. By 2022, 171 of Ganett’s papers had stopped printing. Journalists are being fired daily, and people in many counties are left without reliable sources of information regarding their local governments. Many are concerned about the rise in corruption without journalists to expose it. Professionals worry over the future of the industry, and our democracy, in an ever-changing digital climate. 

The absence of local news has become common in many communities, often without a suitable replacement source of information. These communities are known as news deserts, and they’re expanding quickly. In cities this burden has been eased by donations helping companies go digital. Millions of dollars in philanthropy have been pledged to this cause. In rural communities, however, there often aren’t millions of dollars to spare in this effort. The lack of news has led people to look elsewhere for their information, including social media. Misinformation runs rampant on these platforms, and politics create biases that can twist facts far beyond recognition. With the numbers of local papers on the decline and government actions under less scrutiny, corruption is sure to rise. In an age where old news is dying and new sources are struggling, it’s important to be skeptical and double check the facts. Just in case.