Thousands of local newspapers have closed in recent years, and thousands more have cut back staff and reduced their coverage. In the wake of the merger of the nation's two largest newspaper publishers, Gannett and GateHouse Media, Research Analyst Clara Hendrickson explains the economic forces driving the crisis in local journalism, and why it matters for the democratic and economic health of local communities.

Full show notes: https://brook.gs/2OvYPHR 

Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on Apple or on Google podcasts, send feedback email to [email protected], and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter.

The Current is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.