What Happened To Local Newspapers?

So much of our news consumption these days comes from social media and cable news, but whatever happened to local newspapers? Journalist, author, and educator Meg Heckan joins Jonathan to answer that very question. We learn about the history of newspapers, how communities are impacted when their local paper folds, and what we can do to cultivate a stronger news ecosystem that’s more reflective of our society. Plus, we dive deep into what’s at stake for our democracy when local journalism suffers and what the future of the field might look like. Meg Heckman is a journalist, author and educator focused on building a news ecosystem that is robust, diverse and equipped to serve all segments of society. She is the author of “Political Godmother: Nackey Scripps Loeb and the Newspaper That Shook the Republican Party,” and her work has appeared in a variety of periodicals including the Columbia Journalism Review, USA Today, Poynter.org and The Conversation, as well as scholarly publications such as the Newspaper Research Journal and Teaching Journalism and Mass Communication. She is an associate professor at Northeastern University’s School of Journalism and Media Innovation. You can follow Meg on LinkedIn and learn more about Northeastern’s School of Journalism on their website. Follow us on Instagram @CuriousWithJVN to join the conversation. Jonathan is on Instagram @JVN. Transcripts for each episode are available at JonathanVanNess.com. Find books from Getting Curious guests at bookshop.org/shop/curiouswithjvn. Our senior producers are Chris McClure and Julia Melfi. Our editor & engineer is Nathanael McClure. Production support from Julie Carrillo, Anne Currie, and Chad Hall. Our theme music is “Freak” by QUIÑ; for more, head to TheQuinCat.com. Curious about bringing your brand to life on the show? Email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Om Podcasten

Join Jonathan Van Ness (Queer Eye) each week for their next exciting endeavor! “Getting Better with Jonathan Van Ness" is here to empower listeners (and also make them laugh) by using curiosity as a tool for personal growth. In a world that often feels overwhelming—where it’s easy to feel stuck, frustrated, or helpless—Getting Better offers a lifeline. Each week, Jonathan Van Ness, alongside experts and thought leaders, guides us through our shared challenges—confidence, productivity, mental health, happiness, relationships, and more—helping us emerge thriving, invigorated, and most importantly - a little bit better. Join us every Wednesday for brand new episodes, and catch full video episodes on YouTube! And tune in every Monday for brand new episodes of our companion show: The Monday Edit, where JVN and senior producer Chris giving you a behind the scenes look at the creation of Getting Better, hot takes on today’s headlines, and all in all share with you how the sausage gets made! Curious about bringing your brand to life on the show? Email podcastsales@sonymusic.com