New Data on Americans’ Attention to National News Shows Need for New Strategies to Distribute Information

NEW YORK, NY – February 23, 2022 – Data released this week from the Knight Foundation shows fewer Americans are paying attention to national news, while attention to local and international news remained the same. The number of Americans who regularly consume national news declined between the 2020 Presidential election and December of last year.

Courier Newsroom, a network of eight local news organizations across the country, is an emerging leader on the local media landscape — foreseeing the attention deficit between local and national news and investing in hyperlocal, truth-first journalism. Courier sees itself as a model for keeping Americans engaged and informed with quality, factual news at a time when more and more people are tuning out of national news.

Courier’s reporting is unique in that it is produced by and for the local communities it reports on — delivering the news to folks where they are: on social media and in their email inboxes.

While national news audiences are on the decline, Courier has seen steady growth. At the start of 2021, Courier had acquired just over 100,000 followers and subscribers across its eight markets when it set an ambitious goal of 500,000 by year end. Through rigorous testing and creative experimentation, the Courier team was able to surpass this goal early, setting a strong foundation for growth in their markets for years to come.

“With the unmitigated spread of disinformation putting public health, safety, and democracy at greater risk, Americans need increased access to high-quality, factual, and free information,” said Tara McGowan, founder and Publisher of Courier Newsroom. “We believe that our fresh approach of localizing and contextualizing how the decisions being made in Washington and in statehouses across the country affect people’s day to day lives at the local level will not only help curb this alarming trend, but deepen Americans’ civic engagement within their own communities.”

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