Local newspapers have bonded communities for generations, establishing a routine for Americans curious about their cities and towns. In the course of a day, the newspaper occupied the commuter, informed the citizen, checked the powerful, and delighted or mortified families—depending on what was inside. Virtually everyone, regardless of wealth or background, paid some attention to the day's headlines. Ignoring the paper meant risking social isolation, missing opportunities, and overlooking milestones in the lives of friends and colleagues.
Now the local paper, its moribund condition long suspected, confronts more discouraging news. Last week, a Pew Research Center assessment reconfirmed its bleak prospects. In 2018, the approximate total U.S. daily newspaper circulation hit its lowest number since recording figures began in 1940. The estimated weekday circulation for print and digital editions combined was 28.6 million, half the total of 1999. Declining readership, a result of plummeting advertising revenue and growing digital preferences, translates into fewer workers. One in four U.S. newspapers announced layoffs last year, and the number of employees dropped by 47 percent within the past decade.
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