{"id":311632,"date":"2026-04-16T15:46:15","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T19:46:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?prc_email_campaign=key-facts-about-local-news"},"modified":"2026-06-08T12:13:22","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T16:13:22","slug":"key-facts-about-local-news","status":"publish","type":"prc_email_campaign","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/newsletter\/the-briefing\/key-facts-about-local-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Key facts about local news"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u2600\ufe0f Happy Thursday!<\/strong>\u00a0<em>The Briefing is your guide to the world of news and information<\/em>.<em> <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/sign-up-for-the-briefing\/\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/sign-up-for-the-briefing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Sign up here!<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>In today<em>\u2019<\/em>s email:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\n<li><strong>Featured story:<\/strong> Hungary election result signals changes to media landscape<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>New from Pew Research Center: <\/strong>Key facts about local news<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>In other news:<\/strong> NPR<strong> <\/strong>gets $113 million from two donors<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Looking ahead:<\/strong> The Economist begins to showcase its journalists<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Chart of the week:<\/strong> Growing share of Americans think their local news outlets aren\u2019t doing well financially<\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udd25\u00a0<strong>Featured story<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After unseating <strong>Viktor Orb\u00e1n<\/strong> as Hungary&#8217;s prime minister with an election victory this week, <strong>P\u00e9ter Magyar<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.eu\/article\/peter-magyar-first-target-hungary-state-controlled-media\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">vowed to suspend<\/a> the country\u2019s <strong>state-run media<\/strong> as part of wider anti-corruption efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Orb\u00e1n\u2019s right-wing Fidesz party had <a href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/2026\/04\/hungary-peter-magyar-victory-tv-film-producers-future-1236858917\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">taken control of much of the media<\/a> and messaging during his 16 years in power. In a recent appearance on a state-run radio station, Magyar said that \u201cevery Hungarian deserves a public media that broadcasts the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/global\/2025\/04\/24\/how-people-rate-press-speech-and-internet-freedoms-in-their-country\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2024 survey<\/a> on views of <strong>press freedom around the world,<\/strong> 24% of Hungarians said the media were completely free to report the news in their country, while 38% said they were somewhat free and 37% said they were not very or not at all free. Meanwhile, an <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/global\/2025\/04\/24\/importance-of-press-freedom-free-speech-and-freedom-on-the-internet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">overwhelming majority said<\/a> that it is very (67%) or somewhat (25%) important that the media are able to report the news without state or government censorship in Hungary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udea8 <strong>New from Pew Research Center<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This week, we released a new <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/journalism\/fact-sheet\/local-news-fact-sheet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">fact sheet<\/a> from the Pew-Knight Initiative looking at <strong>Americans\u2019 experiences with local news.<\/strong><br><br><strong>Among the key findings:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\n<li><strong>Attention to local news has declined overall since 2016,<\/strong> mirroring trends in attention to national news.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>The vast majority of Americans (88%) say they <strong>have not paid or given money to a local news source<\/strong> in the past year.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>While 80% of U.S. adults say that local news outlets are at least somewhat <strong>important to the well-being of their local community, <\/strong>the share who say they are <em>extremely<\/em> or <em>very<\/em> important declined from 44% in 2024 to 34% in 2025.<\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udccc\u00a0<strong>In other news<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\n<li><strong>NPR <\/strong>gets $113 million <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/business\/2026\/04\/16\/npr-113-million-gifts-ballmer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">from two donors<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Pittsburgh Post-Gazette<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/04\/14\/business\/media\/pittsburgh-post-gazette-bought-venetoulis-institute.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">will not shut down<\/a> after being acquired by nonprofit owner of Baltimore Banner<\/li>\n\n\n<li>Judge <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/04\/13\/media\/trump-wsj-lawsuit-epstein-dismissed-judge?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=cnn_Reliable+Sources+%E2%80%93+April+14%2C+2026&amp;bt_ee=hgsEF4W%2FhI7nVGlyvjbYu0nkMptuvA19ER8P1lnc22l7o1053wGDd1vnqbcJxOrC&amp;bt_ts=1776173845692\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">dismisses Trump\u2019s defamation lawsuit<\/a> against <strong>The<\/strong> <strong>Wall Street Journal <\/strong>over Epstein letter<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>BBC <\/strong>plans to <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/bbc-job-cuts-layoffs-uk-177a37bba2a282de28ea961e031a5feb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cut up to 2,000 jobs<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>TMZ <\/strong>launches <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/media\/5830247-tmz-opens-dc-bureau\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">D.C. bureau<\/a> to cover politicians<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Mediaite <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.status.news\/p\/mediaite-colby-hall-suspension-one-sheet-newsletter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">suspends founding editor<\/a> after <strong>Status <\/strong>uncovers fabricated reporting<\/li>\n\n\n<li>Spanish-language TV outlet <strong>Telemundo <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/entertainment-arts\/business\/story\/2026-04-11\/telemundo-news-julio-vaqueiro-kvea-nbc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">rises in popularity<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n<li>Journalist <strong>Ahmed Shihab-Eldin <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/04\/14\/media\/ahmed-shihab-eldin-kuwait-iran-war-detained\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">detained in Kuwait<\/a> after sharing Iran war videos<\/li>\n\n\n<li>New startup <strong>Objection <\/strong>aims to use <strong>AI <\/strong>to <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/15\/can-ai-judge-journalism-a-thiel-backed-startup-says-yes-even-if-it-risks-chilling-whistleblowers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">verify news stories<\/a><\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udcc5\u00a0<strong>Looking ahead<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For more than a century, journalists for <strong>The Economist<\/strong> have not had their names published with their work, keeping their identities a mystery to their audience. But the London-based magazine is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/04\/13\/business\/media\/economist-magazine-videos.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">starting to change<\/a>, and is planning to roll out <strong>videos featuring its writers<\/strong> conducting interviews and discussing policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The shift seems to reflect some of the modern <strong>expectations people have for news providers.<\/strong> For example, a large majority of Americans (82%) say it is important that the people they get news from display <strong>\u201cauthenticity\u201d<\/strong> in their work, according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/journalism\/2025\/08\/20\/what-do-americans-want-from-their-news-providers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2025 Center survey of U.S. adults<\/a>. And while 70% say it is extremely or very important that the people they get news from have <strong>deep knowledge of the topics they cover,<\/strong> far fewer (31%) say it is as important for them to be employed by a news organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udcca\u00a0<strong>Chart of the week<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This week\u2019s chart comes from the new Pew-Knight Initiative <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/journalism\/fact-sheet\/local-news-fact-sheet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">fact sheet<\/a> on local news.<br><br><strong>A majority of U.S. adults (57%) think their local news outlets are doing well financially,<\/strong> but this is down from the 71% who said the same in 2018. An <strong>increasing share say these outlets are not doing well financially<\/strong> \u2013 39% in 2025, up from 24% who said the same in 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-640-wide\"><img data-dominant-color=\"dbcdc4\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #dbcdc4;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/perceived_financial_health_of_local_news_outlets-1.png?resize=480,203 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/perceived_financial_health_of_local_news_outlets-1.png?resize=782,330 782w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/perceived_financial_health_of_local_news_outlets-1.png?resize=960,405 960w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/perceived_financial_health_of_local_news_outlets-1.png?resize=1200,506 1200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/perceived_financial_health_of_local_news_outlets-1.png?resize=1280,540 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" height=\"270\" width=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/perceived_financial_health_of_local_news_outlets-1.png?w=640\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-300053 not-transparent\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\ud83d\udc4b That&#8217;s all for this week.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Briefing is compiled by Pew Research Center staff, including Naomi Forman-Katz, Christopher St. Aubin, Joanne Haner, and Sawyer Reed. It is edited by Michael Lipka and copy edited by David Kent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Do you like this newsletter? Email us at\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:journalism@pewresearch.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">journalism@pewresearch.org<\/a> or fill out this <a href=\"https:\/\/us1.list-manage.com\/survey?u=434f5d1199912232d416897e4&amp;id=449f3c3d35&amp;attribution=false\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/us1.list-manage.com\/survey?u=434f5d1199912232d416897e4&amp;id=449f3c3d35&amp;attribution=false\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">two-question survey<\/a> to tell us what you think<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u2600\ufe0f Happy Thursday!\u00a0The Briefing is your guide to the world of news and information. Sign up here! In today\u2019s email: \ud83d\udd25\u00a0Featured story After unseating Viktor Orb\u00e1n as Hungary&#8217;s prime minister with an election victory this week, P\u00e9ter Magyar vowed to suspend the country\u2019s state-run media as part of wider anti-corruption efforts. Orb\u00e1n\u2019s right-wing Fidesz party [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"sub_headline":"","sub_title":"","_prc_public_revisions":[],"_ppp_expiration_hours":0,"_ppp_enabled":false,"wpai_generated_summary":"","prc_watchers":[],"footnotes":"","prc_email_subject":"Key facts about local news","prc_email_preview_text":"Plus, Hungarian media changes after election, NPR gets $113 million from two donors","prc_email_template_slug":"","prc_email_mailchimp_audience_id":"","prc_email_mailchimp_segment_id":"","prc_email_mailchimp_campaign_id":"","prc_email_mailchimp_campaign_admin_url":"","prc_email_mailchimp_campaign_status":"","prc_email_mailchimp_pending_send_at":"","prc_email_mailchimp_delayed_send_cancelled":""},"categories":[],"bylines":[],"prc_newsletter_list":[3083],"_post_visibility":[2643],"formats":[],"workflow-status":[],"class_list":["post-311632","prc_email_campaign","type-prc_email_campaign","status-publish","hentry","_post_visibility-hidden-on-index"],"label":"Newsletter","post_parent":0,"word_count":682,"canonical_url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/newsletter\/the-briefing\/key-facts-about-local-news\/","charts":[],"art_direction":false,"_embeds":[],"prc_checklist":{},"watchChildPosts":false,"watchers":[],"table_of_contents":[],"datacite_doi":"","prc_seo_data":{"title":"Key facts about local news","description":"\u2600\ufe0f Happy Thursday!\u00a0The Briefing is your guide to the world of news and information. 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