Local journalism and its audience

Abstract

Local media outlets are merging, cutting jobs, or closing, due to a loss in audiences and in advertising revenues in an era of digitalization of information environments. This development raises the question how local media outlets can respond to the ongoing digitalization of information environments to retain or even regain audiences and, hereby, their attractiveness for advertisers. This study uses a mixed methods audience research approach to examine the wants and needs of local journalism audiences, tapping into audiences’ functional, symbolic, emotional, and economic values. Since local journalism cannot survive without an audience, an understanding of audience wants and needs is fundamental to secure the future of local journalism. In conclusion, the study provides information on the different perceptions of local journalism held amongst citizen who pay for local journalism, who may be willing to pay, and citizens who do not want to pay for local journalism. This information is crucial for local media outlets to improve their strategies to retain and possibly even regain audiences