By Paul GreeleyPaul@NewsBlues.com
Jill Manuel NOTE: This is from Jill Manuel, founder of JCat Group which guides newsrooms, executives, and organizations through the evolving media landscape.
She posted some fresh numbers on social media from the Pew Research Center on local news consumption, and she says the picture is brutal—and clarifying.
News Blues does accept submissions for Guest Commentaries, but we reserve the right to publish or edit them.
Send your commentary to Paul@NewsBlues.com
The Audience for Local TV News isn’t Disappearing, It’s Migrating
In 2016, 37% of Americans followed local news very closely.
In 2025? 21%.
That’s not a dip.
That’s a collapse in attention.
But here’s where it gets interesting:
The audience didn’t disappear. It migrated.
Online-only news sources nearly tripled—from 15% to 42%.
Community forums and Facebook groups jumped from 38% to 52%.
Even the people still getting news from local TV?
43% now watch it online, up from 22% in 2018.
The local newspaper readers who remain?
68% get it digitally now. That was 43% seven years ago.
I’m seeing this play out in real time.
A newsroom I’m working with right now? More than half of their audience is consuming content on digital platforms.
Less than 20% are linear-only.
The Pew data isn’t a forecast.
It’s a mirror.
Here’s what kills me:
80% of Americans say local news is important to their community’s well-being.
But only 12% pay for it.
Half say they don’t pay because they can find plenty for free.
The value perception is there.
The payment behavior isn’t.
And 39% now say their local news outlets aren’t doing well financially—up from 24% in 2018.
Audiences see the decline.
They just don’t feel responsible for stopping it.
This is the consumption map right now:
→ Attention is down
The audience is telling us exactly where they are.
The question is whether local newsrooms are willing to meet them there—or keep waiting for them to come back.
- Guest Commentary
May 7, 2026The Audience for Local TV News isn’t Disappearing, It’s Migrating
By Paul Greeley
817-578-6324, Paul@NewsBlues.com
NOTE: This is from Jill Manuel, founder of JCat Group which guides newsrooms, executives, and organizations through the evolving media landscape.
She posted some fresh numbers on social media from the Pew Research Center on local news consumption, and she says the picture is brutal—and clarifying.
News Blues does accept submissions for Guest Commentaries, but we reserve the right to publish or edit them.
Send your commentary to Paul@NewsBlues.com
The Audience for Local TV News isn’t Disappearing, It’s Migrating
In 2016, 37% of Americans followed local news very closely.
In 2025? 21%.
That’s not a dip.
That’s a collapse in attention.
But here’s where it gets interesting:
The audience didn’t disappear. It migrated.
Online-only news sources nearly tripled—from 15% to 42%.
Community forums and Facebook groups jumped from 38% to 52%.
Even the people still getting news from local TV?
43% now watch it online, up from 22% in 2018.
The local newspaper readers who remain?
68% get it digitally now. That was 43% seven years ago.
I’m seeing this play out in real time.
A newsroom I’m working with right now? More than half of their audience is consuming content on digital platforms.
Less than 20% are linear-only.
The Pew data isn’t a forecast.
It’s a mirror.
Here’s what kills me:
80% of Americans say local news is important to their community’s well-being.
But only 12% pay for it.
Half say they don’t pay because they can find plenty for free.
The value perception is there.
The payment behavior isn’t.
And 39% now say their local news outlets aren’t doing well financially—up from 24% in 2018.
Audiences see the decline.
They just don’t feel responsible for stopping it.
This is the consumption map right now:
→ Attention is down
→ Digital is up
→ Community sources are rising
→ Traditional gatekeepers are optional
→ Willingness to pay remains flat
The audience is telling us exactly where they are.
The question is whether local newsrooms are willing to meet them there—or keep waiting for them to come back.
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