4-16-2026

​🏛️ Issue of the Week: Losing Local Journalism

 

Summary

 

It was SO exciting for me as a space fan to watch the astronauts from Artemis take off and land safely back on Earth after their historic mission around the moon this week. Experiences like this truly can inspire us with a global common experience.

 

The challenge with a purely global focus of our news however, is that we lose track of what is going on in our own back yard, which can lead to disconnection from our neighbors and lack of agency to make our communities better.  Here are my thoughts on this issue:

​​

Why Local Journalism Matters

 

Strong Communities Are Built with Informed Citizens:

​​

• ·  Consolidation and Profitability have caused news sources to consolidate and focus on “eyeballs on screens” instead of informing citizens. This has turned our “news” sources into nationally focused entities or hyper local, opinion-based social media sites. There are still some great local journalism sources available, but they won’t last if we don’t support them.

• ·  While national and global journalism is important, local journalism is just as important. Last week’s issue focused on how powerful local elections can be- yet without local journalism, voters and citizens may not know about the slow corrosion of their communities.

• ·  Lack of local journalism erodes community experiences. If space missions can bring us together on a global scale, so can everything from ribbon cuttings at the local new park to a new technology initiative that will provide better services at the city level. These shared experiences build wells of trust between us that we need to solve problems.

• ·  When things go wrong, local journalism provides citizens agency to make things better. It’s very hard to combat a national or global issue and affect change as an individual or even in a small group. Local issues are different. When citizens understand that what is happening locally is not working, why it’s not working, and the players involved, they are much more able to tackle these issues as a community.

​

Key District 33 Details

​

You Don’t Have to Be an Expert in Everything

 

Local journalism can help give you broad-based information about a number of subjects in your community. From details on local and state government to commerce development to fun things going on in our community that you don’t want to miss, journalists trying to report more facts and less opinions are fighting the good fight every day in our community. These broad-based sources of journalism fight against the ease and “free” nature of social media each day. Instead of providing you with endless opinions of various qualities, they work to provide you with facts so you can come up with your own viewpoints.

 

Some Local Options that I Love

 

Lee’s Summit Tribune (local) - www.lstribune.net

Missouri Independent (state) – www.missouriindependent.com

The Beacon KC (KS/MO/Local Politics) – www.thebeaconnews.org

Kansas City Star – (KC) – www.kansascity.com

Like to listen instead of just reading? KCUR – Radio 89.3 – www.kcur.org

 

And of course, local and neighborhood papers! Close your social media apps on your phone and check these sources out for at least a few minutes in your day.

 

A Call Out to the Super Local Lotawana News and Others Like It

 

I was recently at Lake Lotawana and picked up their local paper. All lake residents receive it, and it covers all the local community action- from the Bass Tournament results to the City Council meetings. Reach out and tell me about your local journalism in your part of the district- I want to read it!

​

There is a Better Path Forward

 

To Make Government Work Again We Have to Read and Promote Local Journalism

 

Local Journalism Matters. And elected leaders should be reading it and promoting it- even when we are called out in it. This is how we share experience, identify problems and then come up with solutions- together.  

 

Elected Officials Should Make Sure Journalists Have Access. Sunshine laws certainly help, but being willing to reach out to reporters and give them full access should be something that all elected officials strive for. Journalists should be protected from laws and policies that restrict the first amendment and their ability to report facts.

 

Citizens Should Be Proud to Do Their Part. Money is tight, but even paid journalism is assessable. While some of the above resources I shared have paywalls, most have unlocked content as well. We also have some of the best libraries in the country where every citizen can get all the journalism you need, supported by your tax dollars.

​

Conclusion

 

I love the space program, but since I don’t live in Houston or Cape Canaveral, I have to find out about what happens at NASA through my national news. But most of the things that affect me and my community are local. If we want strong communities, we need to read and support local journalism focused on facts to form our own opinions- not just read opinion pieces. We have some great local options in our district. Send me the ones you love from your community!