Across the UK and beyond, entire communities are being left without access to reliable, local news.
These areas, often referred to as news deserts, are increasing in number as traditional newspapers close or consolidate, leaving a void in coverage that affects public awareness, civic engagement, and democracy itself.
This article explores what news deserts are, why they’re increasing, and why local journalism remains an essential service in every community.
What are news deserts?
News deserts are areas with limited or no access to original local journalism. This means no consistent coverage of local government, schools, courts, events, or neighbourhood issues.
While some areas still have local papers in name, many have become ‘ghost newspapers,’ titles stripped of staff, resources, or real reporting, often filled with syndicated content or click-driven stories from distant newsrooms.
The result is the same – the public loses access to trusted, relevant information about where they live.
Why are news deserts growing?
Several factors are accelerating the decline in local news:
- Commercial pressure: Declining advertising revenue, primarily from print, has hit local newspapers hardest.
- Consolidation: Mergers and takeovers by large publishing groups often result in job cuts, office closures, and centralised content production.
- Digital disruption: Social media and search engines have changed how people consume news, but platforms rarely prioritise local information.
- Shifting priorities: Some publishers have shifted their focus to national or lifestyle content, leaving fewer resources for in-depth local reporting.
According to analysis by Press Gazette, more than 80 local news titles closed in the UK between 2022 and 2024, taking the total closing since 2005 to 293, continuing a long-term trend of regional news decline.
The publication warns that the pace of closures has accelerated, raising urgent questions about the sustainability of local journalism.
A lack of media plurality is also fuelling the problem. According to the Media Reform Coalition’s Media Ownership 2025 report, just three companies control 90% of the UK’s national newspaper market.
This concentration of ownership is also reflected in local media, limiting the diversity of perspectives and leaving many areas with little choice in where they obtain their news.
Read: Think Britain has a free press? Think again
Why it matters
Without professional local journalism that follows a robust standards code,
- Power goes unchecked: Local councils, courts and public bodies can make major decisions with little scrutiny.
- Communities become disconnected: People are less aware of what’s happening around them and less likely to engage civically.
- Misinformation spreads: Social media fills the gap, but without journalistic verification, false narratives can take hold.
Research has shown that the decline of local newspapers isn’t just a loss for journalism, it’s a loss for democracy and public accountability.
A 2018 study by the University of Illinois at Chicago found that when local newspapers closed, communities experienced lower voter turnout, reduced civic engagement, and even increased borrowing costs for local governments.
With fewer reporters holding decision-makers to account, the risk of financial mismanagement and corruption also increased.
Although the study focused on the United States, its findings have been echoed in UK debates around the future of local journalism.
Both the Cairncross Review and the Public Interest News Foundation have highlighted the connection between trusted local reporting and more robust democratic outcomes.
When communities lose access to quality local news, the consequences ripple through public life, from council chambers to community halls.
Read: Live: General election results for Bedford & Kempston, North Bedfordshire and Mid Bedfordshire
A Bedford perspective
Bedford Borough is fortunate to have access to trusted local journalism still, but it’s not immune to the wider pressures. The Bedford Independent was created in 2018 in response to the closure of Bedfordshire on Sunday and the consolidation of traditional media.
Today, it stands as a rare example of a thriving independent news outlet, producing daily news, holding power to account, and working closely with the community. However, it requires effort, investment, and public support to remain sustainable.
In Bedford, residents are served by more than one regulated news source. The Bedford Independent sits alongside a long-established historical title in the Borough, operated by one of the UK’s large publishers.
While the two titles have different editorial approaches and often cover news from different angles or with varying priorities, both are regulated and committed to professional standards.
This means Bedfordians are fortunate to have a diverse and trustworthy local news mix, something many other areas in the UK lack.
The Bedford Independent was among the titles invited to give evidence to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Select Committee inquiry into the sustainability of local journalism.
The inquiry examined the challenges facing the sector, including funding cuts, ownership concentration, the role of tech platforms, and the importance of public interest reporting.
In its final report, the Committee concluded that urgent government action was needed to halt the decline, warning that without intervention, many communities risk being left without access to trusted, accurate local news.
Read: DCMS Committee warns Government must act to halt decline of local journalism
The Bedford Independent’s contribution highlighted the value of independent, locally run publications and the need for fairer support structures to ensure they can thrive alongside larger publishers.
New models are emerging
While many local titles have disappeared, a new wave of journalism is taking root. Community-led, digital-first, and often not-for-profit, these outlets aim to fill the gaps left behind. They include:
- The Manchester Mill and Sheffield Tribune, offering long-form journalism supported by subscribers
- The Bristol Cable, a reader-owned cooperative producing investigative reporting
- Shetland News, providing comprehensive local coverage to one of the UK’s most remote areas
In Bedford, Progress Publishing, home to the Bedford Independent and Bedford Clanger, is part of this growing movement.
Supported by reader engagement, business partnerships and ethical editorial and advertising, it demonstrates that local journalism still has a future when trust and transparency are prioritised.
Pushing for change
The Public Interest News Foundation (PINF) is one of the leading organisations working to address the crisis in local journalism.
As the UK’s first and only charity dedicated to supporting independent, public interest news providers, it advocates for policies that ensure indie news can survive and thrive.
Through research, lobbying and collaboration with over 100 independent publishers, PINF helps to highlight the importance of trusted local reporting and the dangers of growing news deserts.
As part of Indie News Week 2025, PINF launched a national petition urging the UK government to support the regeneration of local journalism.
The campaign calls for public support to demonstrate to decision-makers that local news matters and that independent publishers require better conditions to continue serving their communities.
PINF’s campaign outlines six key recommendations for the government to act on by 2035, including:
- A £15m Local News Stimulation Fund to help publishers transition to digital.
- Incentives for philanthropy, tech companies and the public to support local news.
- A diverse workforce plan to ensure journalism reflects the communities it serves.
- A fair deal for news outlets under the new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act.
- A new partnership between local government and local news that empowers communities.
- A refreshed relationship between the BBC and local publishers at the next Charter Renewal.
You can support the campaign here.
What readers can do
You don’t need to be a journalist to protect local journalism. You can:
- Read, share and subscribe to local news that has a clear standards code
- Support publications financially or through advertising
- Submit tips, feedback or story ideas to your local newsroom
- Defend genuine journalism when it’s under attack, including calling out misinformation
- Encourage young people to read the news and understand its role in society
- Share any or all of the Media Literacy Project articles by the Bedford Independent
News deserts are not just a loss of information; they are a loss of oversight, connection, and identity. Local journalism helps bind communities together, reflect their realities, and protect their interests.
In an age where information is abundant but trust is scarce, the value of accurate, independent, and accountable local reporting cannot be overstated.
Where local journalism disappears, democracy weakens. Where it survives, so too does the community’s ability to stay informed, connected and heard.
This article is part of a series to help support media literacy.
