The internet has revolutionized the way people get news and information. In journalism, the old ways of raising revenue no longer work, and research shows local news is suffering the most.

There have been incredible innovations from national outlets like The New York Times in terms of how they analyze audience data and how they use algorithms in their reporting, says Phil Napoli, a professor of public policy at Duke University who studies media regulation.

“They’re innovating and using technology and data in incredible ways,” Napoli says. “Go visit a local newspaper. You will see none of that.”

More than 1,800 newspapers nationwide shut down or drastically downsized in the last 15 years. Napoli and other scholars say this has dire consequences for how well democratic institutions function at the local level.

“You’re not as likely these days to see reporters covering county governments, city government, school board meetings, town council meetings, all that sort of thing. These are important gaps that need to be filled,” he says.

Napoli is studying “news deserts“—localities with limited or no local news outlets. He is finding out how much truly local critical information these communities are getting from the newspapers that remain—and from new digital start-ups.

The internet has revolutionized the way people get news and information. In journalism, the old ways of raising revenue no longer work, and research shows local news is suffering the most.

Read the full article about the loss of local news from Duke University via Futurity.