Helping Local News Thrive



In the digital era it’s easy to read stories from around the globe connecting us to a million different views and opinions. But what does that mean for local news? Where does the so called “Daily Bugle” fit into our regular diet of news consumption?

Well, despite the plethora of media outlets, most people cite the local paper as one of their top news sources. This is underlined by a National Newspaper Association survey that came out this month showing that two-thirds of residents in small towns across America depend on their local paper for news and information.

In order to ensure that community newspapers can endure, Google has developed a landmark deal with the Local Media Consortium. The partnership means this industry body - made up of more than 800 daily newspapers and 200 local broadcast stations - can tap into the power of Google’s ads technology to help fund and support the local journalism that so many people cherish and rely on.

For me that local touchstone is the Los Altos Town Crier and the Mountain View Voice, which help keep me up-to-date on the latest shenanigans over a new building development, news about the local high school sports teams, and the ever-fascinating police log.

To find out more details on this partnership, visit our DoubleClick Publisher blog.