'In states that have enacted restrictive voting laws since 2020, we estimate that more than 1.3 million American adults in 99 counties live in news deserts...making voters more vulnerable to misinformation.'
Citizens lose a news source with unique value when local newspapers close. While voters may have access to statewide newspapers and television and radio, local newspapers traditionally pay more attention to local civic issues. A study of local media outlets and more than 16,000 news stories found that local newspaper coverage was substantially more likely to address critical information needs than coverage from its television and radio counterparts. Local outlets are also more trusted.
, Americans were far less likely to believe that local news contributed to election misinformation in 2020 than to believe that social media and cable television news spurred such misinformation. The disappearance of local news sources creates gaps that exacerbate misinformation risks. Political operatives news deserts to fill the voids with propaganda-filled websites that front as independent news. Without timely news coverage, any occasional, corrected mistakes by county officials and out-of-context videos taken at poll sites can metastasize into disinformation campaigns.
In the lead-up to the midterms, state election officials, regional news outlets, and nonpartisan voting organizations should take special care to educate people on voting issues in places that have limited local news options. Voters whose first or primary language is not English face additional risks as they are typically underserved by the news media. U.S. elections receive
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