People in rural Georgia are going without the news and information they need to stay connected and make changes in their communities. According to a new report called The State of Local News, there are 21 counties in the state without any news sources, and another 116 counties only have one outlet.

Penelope Muse Abernathy, visiting professor with Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, which published the report, said most of these sources are small and primarily located in metropolitan areas. She added that of the 6,000 surviving newspapers nationwide, access will continue to dwindle.

"We are losing an average of two and a half newspapers a week now," she explained. "And by the end of 2024, next year, we will have lost a third of all newspapers. Most of those were weeklies that served rural America. "

The problem's not limited to rural areas. The report reveals that 20 out of the 50 largest metro areas in the country have lost nearly half of their community newspapers since 2005. To tackle this issue, more than 20 nonprofit organizations are planning to invest a total of $500 million over the next five years in local media organizations as part of the Press Forward initiative.

Tracie Powell, founder of The Pivot Fund, a philanthropy organization that invests in BIPOC-led community news, said The Pivot Fund recently conducted research highlighting the persistent issue of diminishing news coverage across the state, especially in rural parts of Georgia. She added this longstanding problem has significant implications for residents in already disadvantaged communities.

"Lack of accountability which leads to increased corruption," Powell said. "You have increased apathy among community members because they don't know or understand that they can affect change. "

Powell believes investing in trusted community sources that produce critical news and information for, about, and with their communities is crucial to reversing the decline of local news. She points to Lisa Galarza of Pasa La Voz as a positive example. Her news service addresses the Latino communities in Georgia and South Carolina.

"The publisher understands that her community largely does not speak or write in English, but she also understands that her community may not read or write in Spanish very well because they come from rural parts of Mexico and so she produces news and information that's accessible to them even down to the syntax," Powell said.

The report also suggests there are multiple ways to revitalize local news nationwide, including investments in broadband, exploring sustainable business practices, supportive policies, research, and outreach at the university and industry levels.


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Arizona's primary election will take place in July, and a new Rural Democracy Initiative poll shows that likely voters from rural areas of the state are up for grabs.

Researcher Patrick Toomey, a partner with Breakthrough Campaigns, said the poll data show rural voters are what he calls "economic populists," and don't want the government calling the shots on certain issues, such as abortion.

"Rural voters do feel like things are getting worse for them and in their communities economically, but again, the vast majority of rural voters -- they are economic populists and their policy preferences align with many progressive goals," he said. "It is very clear that rural voters are not a cultural monolith either."

Toomey added that while rural America tends to be more conservative than its urban and suburban counterparts, certain conventionally progressive policy items -- such as focusing on retirement security and making taxes more fair -- aren't being associated with President Joe Biden or Democrats. He contended that the Democratic Party will need to "rebuild their brand."

The poll found 15% of rural voters in swing states are unsure for whom they will vote, or if they'll vote at all in the upcoming election, something Toomey contended could directly impact the outcome.

Toomey said half of rural voters consider Republicans to be more dedicated to prioritizing the needs of working families, compared with just 32% who shared those sentiments for the Democratic Party. While the increasing costs of housing, health care and child care are all important issues to rural voters, the data show that reproductive freedoms are also a top priority.

Toomey claimed Democrats can use that to their favor.

"Rural voters are opposed to abortion bans," he said. "They have nuanced views around abortion itself, but three-quarters either support it or don't want the government interfering in something that should be left up to women and their doctors."

More than 1,700 voters in 10 states participated in the poll, which found nearly half of rural voters would choose a "culturally aligned" rural Democrat over a Republican businessperson from a big city on the East Coast.


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Petitions are being circulated to get a marijuana legalization question on North Dakota's fall ballot.

Some local officials said marijuana laws could affect their small cities and towns in unique ways. A North Dakota group called New Economic Frontier is behind the ballot initiative. If put before voters, it would be the third time they'd consider the idea. Similar questions failed in 2018 and 2022.

Scott Decker, mayor of Dickinson, said if it wins this time, the state has to honor the will of the voters. Whether his area would see economic benefits or new residents, he pointed out energy jobs have a big presence and there is a potential conflict.

"Even if recreational marijuana is passed, individuals working in the energy sector are still gonna have to pass drug tests," Decker explained. "That's just a standard in the industry. Safety is paramount. "

He also wondered about local police having enough resources to secure technology for field sobriety tests, especially if revenues do not trickle down to his city of nearly 25,000 people. But Decker acknowledged other criminal justice aspects of legalization, noting there are too many people with low-level marijuana offenses who are incarcerated.

Tom Erdmann, mayor of Carrington, said his constituents are fairly conservative on the issue. He doubts his town would ever be a hotbed for marijuana retail sales but no matter the dynamics, he said any possible revenue would be a bonus.

"You know, any tax revenue that we get, whether it's from tobacco sales or highway use tax or any of those things that are not necessarily listed every year in our budget, we don't send it, that's for sure," Erdmann emphasized. "We keep it and use it in places where we need the funds to go."

He added Carrington has a solid economic base but his revenue sentiments illustrate the pros and cons communities have to wrestle with as legalization debates resurface. Petition organizers tout a range of economic boosts, while also stating their proposed policy is pretty restrictive compared to other states.


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Work is being done in rural areas across Texas to make sure students are prepared for the workforce even if they intend to stay put after graduation.

One new study showed only 31% of adults in non-metro areas have a degree from a junior college or university. The nonprofit Jobs for the Future creates opportunities for the education system and local businesses to work together in hopes of increasing the number.

Sarah Jenness, senior manager of the group, said there are three key changes leaders in rural areas could make to improve training for students.

"Strategy number one, build on your local strengths and contacts," Jenness outlined. "Strategy number two is thinking about how to prioritize inclusive economic development. And then finally, the third strategy was around embedding remote opportunities."

Jenness argued schools, local economic development agencies and businesses need to collaborate to create opportunities. A couple of options are dual enrollment, where high school students also earn college credits, and work-based learning, so they can hone their skills on the job.

The study found in the U.S., the benefits of economic systems are unevenly distributed and certain groups and communities suffer the most, particularly rural areas. Disparities are also seen across lines of race, ethnicity and gender.

Jenness stressed gaps can be closed if rural students receive training for the types of jobs available in their communities.

"What are the industries that employ the most rural workers? And the top three that we think tend to be -- you know, have good quality jobs -- are industries like government, manufacturing and health care," Jenness explained.

She added remote work is also a key strategy to ensure rural students have access to a variety of well-paid jobs.


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