Over the past 25 years, I’ve written dozens of articles about the disappearance of newspapers and other local news outlets, and about the social, economic and political impacts that news deserts have on our society as a whole.
When it comes to deserts, I have nothing against them per se, and they have their place in our ecosystem. Furthermore, everyone around here (except me) is getting ready to depart soon for the playa at Burning Man.
But wherever there are groups of people, even temporarily, there simply has to be some among them who know how to gather and spread the news of what’s happening beyond the nearest tentpole. So it was sad when the Burning Man’s own weekly ceased publishing a couple years back after a 30-year run.
I’m sure some alternative rag has popped up by now or will soon (I’m out of that loop), but the point is you can’t really have a community without collecting and distributing its news.
That’s one main reason I’ve worked with the Local NEWS Network (LNN) based in Durango, CO, these past few years. It provides a for-profit path for implementing a digital network of local news and local advertising for communities that otherwise would exist in a news desert.
There are other laudable attempts to revive local news teams nationally, many of them supported by philanthropies, which is another way to go.
As for LNN, it’s the opposite of a top-down solution offered by outsiders. It’s a ground-up solution, and recognizes that — given the choice — many people will choose a local diner or hardware store over national chains, and the same is true when it comes to their community news outlets.
For news at the state, national and global levels, we need the various networks, but when it comes to our towns and neighborhoods, we all deserve a chance to find out what’s going on from reputable journalists working within earshot. At least, that’s the way I see it.
HEADLINES:
Hurricane Erin closes beaches from Florida to New York, unleashes monster waves, rip currents, extreme erosion (Fox)
Musk quietly puts brakes on plans for new political party (WSJ)
White House says Putin-Zelensky meeting plans are ‘underway’ following Trump meetings (CNN)
Trump rules out sending US troops to Ukraine as part of security guarantees (BBC)
Despite a flurry of meetings on Russia’s war in Ukraine, major obstacles to peace remain (AP)
Justice Dept. probes whether D.C. manipulated crime data, escalating tensions with city (WP)
Can Donald Trump Police the United States? (New Yorker)
Foundations Commit $36.5 Million in Emergency Funding to Protect Public Media in Vulnerable Communities (Knight)
California's long ballot count may be Trump's next target in the war over voting (NBC)
Trump wants to do away with mail-in voting, but the Constitution doesn't give him that power (AP)
Israel demands release of all Gaza hostages, casting doubt on ceasefire proposal (BBC)
Impressed and afraid: America’s seniors confront the dizzying world of AI (WP)
Madison Avenue Is Starting to Love A.I. (NYT)
AI Is a Mass-Delusion Event (Atlantic)
US tech stocks hit by wave of concerns over future of AI boom (FT)
In another AI push, China holds the world's first sports event for humanoid robots (NBC)
AI Is Designing Bizarre New Physics Experiments That Actually Work (Wired)
What is ‘AI psychosis’ and how can ChatGPT affect your mental health? (WP)
Study: Elephants Only Other Species Capable Of Leveraging Synergies In Brand Portfolio (The Onion)
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