National news is often biased towards some national agenda. But local journalists can tell you how legislation and politics will affect you, your neighbors, and your community.
For me, and for some friends I've spoken with, national problems increasingly feel too big to address. Reading and researching locally can help distressing events feel more grounded and human-scale.
And local news shares some really great stories and writing, also!
Check out this great piece by Christopher G. Johnson for Michigan Public. He got on a plane...with his daughter as the pilot! Incredible.
Christopher G. Johnson
In the Eastern Sierras in California, the local paper is called The Sheet. You can pick it up at the grocery store or the library.
I was gratified to see The Sheet reporting on the No Kings protest and on the effects of the "big beautiful bill" on the local ecosystem.
"Significant portions of public land in Mono and Inyo County could be vulnerable to private sale if a proposal to sell millions of acres of public land is passed through congress."
This provision to sell public land was, thankfully, taken out of the bill. But this reporting helped me understand what might happen to the land I'd visited.
Here's a link to The Sheet:
Paige Fisher
Another local news update: after writing about the California Gulls I saw on Mono Lake, I saw an update in the Mono Lake Newsletter by Bartshé Miller.
Unfortunately, last year was a bad year for nesting gulls at Mono Lake. Miller writes, "Recent nesting data and observations reveal that uncertain food timing and productivity and recurring coyote predation—all due to low lake levels—are likely causing disruption."
Bartshé, Eastern Sierra Policy Director
This is bad news, but I think it's important to understand how important it is to preserve Mono Lake. This is why the water level of the lake is more important than 2% of Los Angeles' drinking water, in my opinion.
I appreciate gaining ecosystem-focused opinions and understanding from local news.
I encourage you to find and support your local news organization. Here's a few wonderful local or smaller news sources:
Arizona:
Tori Gantz (she/they)
Washington, DC:
Martin Austermuhle
Science news based out of Atlanta, GA:
Do you have a favorite local or independent news source? Please share in the comments.
Want to support independent, human-written journalism? Your contributions allow me to keep doing this work. If I've helped you out, please contribute to my tip jar:
