New Report Reveals Alarming and Widespread Shortage of Local Journalists Across the U.S.
Groundbreaking Data from Muck Rack and Rebuild Local News Reveals One-Third of U.S. Counties Lack the Equivalent of a Full-time Local Journalist; Shortages as Significant in Suburban and Urban Areas as in Rural Ones
MIAMI and BROOKLYN, July 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Local Journalist Index is a landmark study by Muck Rack, the trusted platform for journalists and communications professionals, and Rebuild Local News, the leading nonpartisan organization advancing public policies to strengthen community news, revealing a nationwide shortage of local journalists that's more widespread and severe than previously understood.
Using a new metric called Local Journalist Equivalents (LJEs) — which estimates reporting capacity based on publishing frequency, outlet type, geographic focus, and verification — the study reveals a roughly 75% decline in local journalists since 2002. Drawing on Muck Rack’s expansive journalist database, the report assesses county-level reporting capacity and finds that more than one in three U.S. counties lack the equivalent of even one full-time local journalist. With fewer than 8.2 LJEs per 100,000 residents in two-thirds of counties, the findings highlight that the number of local journalists is dramatically diminished even in areas that still have news outlets.
“This new data confirms that the local journalist shortage is more severe and far-reaching than we feared,” said Steven Waldman, president of Rebuild Local News. “Thousands of rural, urban and suburban communities are being left without the basic reporting they need to stay informed, connected and civically engaged. We hope this report will help philanthropists target their funding; entrepreneurs spot opportunities; and local stakeholders better argue for public policy changes to help sustain local news.”
Key Findings:
- Sharp national decline: In 2002, the U.S. had about 40 journalists per 100,000 residents. Today, the national average is 8.2 LJEs — a drop of about 75%.
- High population, low coverage: Nine counties with more than 2 million residents each, including those home to Los Angeles, Houston, Phoenix, Dallas and Queens, are even worse off. They have about half as many local journalists as the national average. In general, an area can have several local news outlets and grossly insufficient coverage.
- Minimal journalism here: More than a third of the counties in the U.S., home to 20.6 million Americans, have less than one LJE covering the area.
- Fast-growing suburbs underserved: Rapidly expanding counties such as Texas’ Fort Bend County, near Houston, and Oregon’s Washington County, near Portland, lack the journalistic capacity to keep pace with their population growth.
- Some states fare far better than others: The best-performing states have roughly three times as many local journalists per 100,000 as the worst. Topping the list is Vermont, which has seen a surge of new journalism outlets to replace those that have disappeared. The bottom of the list includes Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland, where proximity to major metro media markets may be crowding out local news.
- Only one state exceeds half of the year 2002 benchmark: Vermont, with 27.5 LJEs per 100,000 people, is the only state above half the 2002 national benchmark.
- The averages are about the same for rural, suburban and urban areas: Counties of different population sizes all average somewhere between six and 10 LJEs per 100,000 people.
“We hope this data informs smarter investments in local journalism and drives urgent policy conversations,” added Gregory Galant, cofounder and CEO of Muck Rack. “Local journalists are the backbone of community trust and accountability. The stakes are too high to let this trend continue.”
Journalist Strongholds
While the overall trend is troubling, some communities maintain strong coverage. Driven by the independently owned Daily Journal, Lee County, Mississippi, ranks first in the state and the top 2% nationally, with more than 52.1 LJEs per 100,000 residents. Jerauld County, South Dakota, tops the rankings in terms of per-capita coverage. It has nearly 256.8 LJEs per 100,000 residents, helped by a vibrant paper and a tiny population.
Newer nonprofit and digital newsrooms are also stepping up, although typically with limited staff and resources. In some rural areas, single hyper-dedicated reporters are sustaining vital coverage.
The full study, which includes comprehensive maps, rankings and listings at the county and state level, is available here.
Methodology
This project aimed to quantify local journalists at the county level by leveraging Muck Rack’s comprehensive journalist database, which monitors more than 3.5 million articles daily. Initiated by Rebuild Local News and powered by Muck Rack's data and editorial oversight, the analysis filtered over 100,000 journalist profiles to calculate “Local Journalist Equivalents,” a measure that adjusts for publishing frequency, outlet type, geographic relevance and journalist verification. To refine the count, the team excluded non-local, aggregated or infrequently publishing contributors and apportioned some journalists from metro areas to surrounding counties based on empirical story distribution. The resulting dataset offers a replicable, scalable view into the presence of local journalism nationwide, supporting decisions by funders, policymakers and media advocates.
About Muck Rack
Muck Rack is the leading provider of award-winning PR software built for how brands and agencies work. Since its founding in 2009 to connect journalists on social media, Muck Rack has evolved into a comprehensive platform trusted by nearly 6,000 organizations worldwide to build trust, share their stories and demonstrate the unique value of earned media. Thousands of journalists use Muck Rack’s free tools to showcase their portfolios, and the company continues to invest in free solutions for journalists, as well as in research and media data — reinforcing its commitment to journalism and a free press. Learn more at muckrack.com.
About Rebuild Local News
Rebuild Local News is the leading nonpartisan, nonprofit coalition developing and advancing effective public policies designed to strengthen community news and information. Our broad-based organization brings together the largest alliance of local publishers, labor unions, civic organizations and newsrooms representing both rural and urban communities. Together, these 50 organizations represent over 3,000 newsrooms and 15,000 journalists working together to revive local news.
Muck Rack Bailey Mark bailey.mark@muckrack.com Rebuild Local News Ray Garcia raygarcia@rebuildlocalnews.org
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