Local news covers events, issues, and communities that impact a particular geographic area. It plays an important role in shaping community identity, addressing residents’ concerns, and encouraging civic participation. Local media can take many forms, from commercial print or broadcast news to hyperlocal websites and social media.

Most Americans say they get news about their community at least occasionally. Roughly two-thirds say they often consume news about weather, and nearly half report getting news about local traffic and sports. Other topics consumers frequently follow include civic news about government, crime, and the economy, as well as cultural news about arts and sports.

As the primary source of local news, broadcasters can play a critical role in shaping public perception about community issues. The priority they give to certain stories, the framing techniques they use, and the emphasis they place on specific topics can affect how citizens perceive local problems such as crime rates or economic development.

Local television news can also play a pivotal role in increasing community engagement, particularly through community journalism, a form of journalism that focuses on reporting events and issues that are relevant to a local audience, often with the involvement of community members in the storytelling process. When citizens feel engaged in the production of their local news, they are more likely to trust it and be informed about key issues affecting their lives.

In the United States, most local news comes from local TV stations. Some of these outlets have dedicated local news departments, while others integrate a brief local segment into their main evening newscasts. For example, CBS News in the United States airs a local news segment each weekday on its flagship newscast The CBS Evening News. In Norway, public broadcaster SVT includes a short local news bulletin as part of the national newscast Aktuellt each weekday evening.