Who Makes Local News? A French-American Comparison

• In Event: A New Chapter in the Life of Local Journalism: Changing Conceptions of Journalists and Journalism in Local News

Abstract

This paper provides a cross-national perspective on the changing world of local news. It considers the newsmaking experiences of two cities – Toulouse, France and Seattle, USA– and asks how and in what ways the different media systems in which they are embedded process the shared challenges brought on by economic, technological and cultural changes. It does so in two ways: first, by using survey data to develop detailed profiles of who makes news (in terms of the age, gender, education and work histories of journalists at both legacy news outlets and online pure players); second, by using in-depth interviews to examine what sorts of news they aim to make (in terms of professional orientation, intended audience, desired impact on civic life). In answering both questions, the study provides a comparative look at the provision of contemporary local news and lays the groundwork for assessing its implications for professional practices.

Author

• Matthew Powers, U of Washington