About two-thirds of U.S. counties have a below-average number of local journalists, per an ambitious new project aiming to illustrate “the stunning collapse in local reporting” as old business models falter and newsrooms scramble for sustainability.
Why it matters: Many American neighborhoods lack adequate news coverage for everything from school board meetings and elections to local sports and cultural events.
Driving the news: The U.S. now has 8.2 “local journalist equivalents” (LJEs) for every 100,000 people, down 75% from 2002 on average.
- That’s according to the Local Journalist Index 2025 from Muck Rack and Rebuild Local News, a local journalism nonprofit.
By the numbers: NWA has a higher than average rate, with 16.1 LJEs in Washington County and 10.4 LJEs in Benton County…