Episode 5: Life in a Local News Desert

Hundreds of urban and rural counties in the U.S. don't have access to credible and comprehensive information that helps residents make decisions about quality of life issues. These places are commonly known as news deserts. This episode explains the rise of news deserts and explores the consequences with a case study of Caroline County, Virginia. How has losing a local newspaper affected the community? How do people get access to news and information about COVID-19? 

Host: 

• Elia Powers (@eliapowers)

Learn More: 

• Urban-Rural Action (https://www.uraction.org)


• News Desert Project (https://www.usnewsdeserts.com)


• News Literacy Project COVID-19 resources (https://newslit.org/coronavirus/)


• Study: "Life in a News Desert: The Perceived Impact of a Newspaper Closure on Community Members" (bit.ly/lifeinanewsdesert)


• Tony Ares (http://www.becomingdisciplined.com)