Local journalism matters more than ever

You may have heard about this little news story we’re covering in Michigan. People in the city of Flint (MI), almost 100,000 residents, haven’t been able to safely drink their water for about two years. While the Flint water crisis revealed a massive failure on the part of state government in Michigan, it also demonstrated the importance of local journalism, the kind of journalism local newspapers, radio and TV stations should strive to do every day. The results of this story – the problem being admitted, the people of Flint getting help, the state and federal officials who resigned or were fired or reassigned, the renewed interest in lead poisoning and water systems around the country - it would not have happened if it were not for LOCAL journalism.

We sometimes treat local journalism like it’s not as big a deal or as important as the national networks. But in the communities we cover that is not the case. This story would not have come to light without local journalists, and now that the national media have turned their attention to Trump, and Zika and the Panama Papers, local journalists are still in Flint chasing this story. Whether you’re in a big shop or a small one, being in your community every day and paying attention to what’s going on and asking questions and challenging authority and not buying the narrative offered by the powerful, that will result in quality journalism. And yes, the national media may still say “nobody covered the story” until they came to town. But you’ll know, your audience will know, and hopefully the people who make poor decisions in the future, that affect so many people in your community, they will know as well.