KEY POINTS

The Medill School of Journalism released its 2025 "The State of Local News" report.

In the past 20 years, 40% of all newspapers shut down, including 130 in the past year.

An estimated 50 million Americans now have limited or no access to reliable local news.

Earlier this month, Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism released its 2025 “ The State of Local News Report .”

The writers presented the 2025 numbers within the context of the trends they’ve witnessed over the past two decades, as well as the specifics of what transpired since the 2024 report.

While there are some pockets of hope — there are more digital news sites, for example — the overall theme is that the nation’s access to local reporting continues to dwindle.

“It’s been a story of pretty dramatic transfo

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