The crisis in traditional media has been building for years. But the pace of contraction accelerated in 2023, 2024, and 2025 in ways that alarmed journalists, civic leaders, and anyone who thinks informed communities matter.
Major newspapers cut newsrooms dramatically. Local news stations consolidated or closed. Iconic magazines that had existed for decades shut down or moved entirely online. The advertising revenue that had sustained journalism for over a century had largely migrated to Facebook and Google.
The Local News Desert
The consequences are most acute at the local level. Hundreds of American counties now have no local news outlet of any kind — meaning local government, local corruption, local community decisions happen without any journalistic scrutiny. Research shows that communities without local news have lower voter turnout, higher government borrowing costs, and less civic engagement.
What Fills the Void
Social media, newsletters, podcasts, and local online outlets have partially filled the gap. But the replacement is uneven. Some communities are well-served by new media. Many are not.
We need to know what's happening in our communities. In Tampa and everywhere else.