In the aftermath of last week’s presidential election(yes, it was just last week) there has been lots of analysis about how and why voters voted as they did.
Many supporters of Kamala Harris have been left to ask how Americans could have decided that Donald Trump, with all his baggage – including felony convictions and federal indictments – was seen as the better choice.
One overlooked aspect of the conversation is the fact that many Americans are simply not paying attention to the news on a regular basis and therefore don’t sense a civic emergency of any kind. Even if they do, they feel disconnected from any possible ramifications in their own lives.
To break through to disconnected voters, local news could be part of the answer. A survey released by the Pew Research Center in May of this year said people still find value in local news and trust local journalists.
Local news teams might be doing the country a further service if they begin carrying more news about national politics. One place to start would be to increase coverage of state congressional delegations. Much of this type of reporting can be done virtually from anywhere.
It’s a matter of delivering the news where people are. A well-informed public is crucial to the success of a country led by “we the people.”
