As Newspapers Close, News Deserts Expand, Report Finds

The number of “news deserts” in the U.S. — areas where residents receive little or no local news — jumped to record levels this year, a report from Northwestern University’s Medill journalism school finds. 

Counties with news deserts in the United States increased to 213 in 2025, up from 206 in 2024, and 150 in 2005. As of this year, another 1,524 U.S. counties have just one remaining source of local news. All told, some 50 million Americans have limited or no access to reliable news about their communities.

News deserts have continued to spread, with 136 newspapers closing this year, a rate of more than two newspaper closures per week. Last year, 130 newspapers closed, according to Medill’s research.

Most of the newspapers that closed this year were smaller, independently owned publications, a sign that many longstanding family publishers are surrendering to economic pressure. At newspapers overall, the total number of jobs slumped 7% in the past year. The news industry has lost more than three-quarters of its jobs since 2005. 

Even as newspapers close, nearly 300 public radio stations and more than 100 public television stations continue to report local news, the research found. In nine U.S. counties, public radio is the only news source, leaving those areas vulnerable to becoming news deserts in the months ahead, as federal funding for public broadcasting is cut.

Medill’s researchers found some reason for optimism, however: More than 300 local news organizations have started up during the past five years, 80% of which have been digital only. But the vast majority of those news startups have been in urban areas, leaving rural and less affluent parts of the country with scant local news.