The Decline of Local News and Its Impact on Democracy
League of Women Voters of Washington
Preface
Between 2005 and 2020, one quarter of the nation’s newspapers closed, leaving 1,800 communities with
no local news outlet. Several national studies have shown the impact of these closures on various aspects
of our society, particularly those that are fundamental to our democratic system of government.
Until this report, there has been no comprehensive study of the situation as it pertains to Washington
state. At the 2021 convention of the League of Women Voters of Washington, delegates authorized a
study of the decline of local news in Washington to support League development of a policy position.
The charge of the study committee was to evaluate the condition of news outlets in Washington. Were
they disappearing at the same rate as other states? If so, were Washington residents experiencing the
same known impacts of lower political participation, less government oversight, higher government costs,
reduced community engagement, and a lack of communication about public health? We consider these
elements fundamental to our democracy and system of government.
Using standard reporting techniques, committee members gathered information from more than 50
scholars, journalists, elected officials, and government and civic leaders, including public health
professionals. The committee also reviewed more than 500 documents, from scholarly studies to articles
in the popular press.
https://lwvwa.org/resources/Documents/Studies/LocalNews/Decline%2036.pdf