A Global Pandemic, Reported Locally: COVID-19 coverage in six North Carolina news sources

The COVID-19 crisis was a global catastrophe experienced as a local event: School closures, dining restrictions, mask mandates, testing requirements, case numbers and death rates varied intensely from place to place in the U.S. Robust local news and information was key to helping people stay safe and protect their communities. But local news ecosystems across the U.S. have suffered serious harm in the past few decades, as revenues plunged, news sources consolidated and layoffs eliminated thousands of jobs. How has this diminution of traditional journalism outlets impacted local communities’ access to truly local news during the COVID-19 crisis? Using content analysis, this study examines the topics, framing and overall quantity of local news coverage of six local news outlets from three communities in North Carolina during four one-week periods in the pandemic’s first year, representing spring, summer, fall and winter. Key findings include that the total amount of local coverage from five of the six outlets fell over time even as the severity of the pandemic increased; that some news sources used the framings of hope, explanatory or risk far more often than others; that substantial differences existed between the topics different news sources covered most frequently; and that the smallest town in the study received no locally relevant TV news coverage at all. From the data and trends identified in this project, recommendations are made for how news sources can provide more consistent coverage and best serve their audiences’ needs when the next local crisis inevitably strikes.Master of Arts in Digital Communicatio