People in rural Georgia are going without the news and information they need to stay connected and make changes in their communities. According to a new report called The State of Local News, there are 21 counties in the state without any news sources, and another 116 counties only have one outlet.

Penelope Muse Abernathy, visiting professor with Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, which published the report, said most of these sources are small and primarily located in metropolitan areas. She added that of the 6,000 surviving newspapers nationwide, access will continue to dwindle.

"We are losing an average of two and a half newspapers a week now," she explained. "And by the end of 2024, next year, we will have lost a third of all newspapers. Most of those were weeklies that served rural America. "

The problem's not limited to rural areas. The report reveals that 20 out of the 50 largest metro areas in the country have lost nearly half of their community newspapers since 2005. To tackle this issue, more than 20 nonprofit organizations are planning to invest a total of $500 million over the next five years in local media organizations as part of the Press Forward initiative.

Tracie Powell, founder of The Pivot Fund, a philanthropy organization that invests in BIPOC-led community news, said The Pivot Fund recently conducted research highlighting the persistent issue of diminishing news coverage across the state, especially in rural parts of Georgia. She added this longstanding problem has significant implications for residents in already disadvantaged communities.

"Lack of accountability which leads to increased corruption," Powell said. "You have increased apathy among community members because they don't know or understand that they can affect change. "

Powell believes investing in trusted community sources that produce critical news and information for, about, and with their communities is crucial to reversing the decline of local news. She points to Lisa Galarza of Pasa La Voz as a positive example. Her news service addresses the Latino communities in Georgia and South Carolina.

"The publisher understands that her community largely does not speak or write in English, but she also understands that her community may not read or write in Spanish very well because they come from rural parts of Mexico and so she produces news and information that's accessible to them even down to the syntax," Powell said.

The report also suggests there are multiple ways to revitalize local news nationwide, including investments in broadband, exploring sustainable business practices, supportive policies, research, and outreach at the university and industry levels.


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Petitions are being circulated to get a marijuana legalization question on North Dakota's fall ballot.

Some local officials said marijuana laws could affect their small cities and towns in unique ways. A North Dakota group called New Economic Frontier is behind the ballot initiative. If put before voters, it would be the third time they'd consider the idea. Similar questions failed in 2018 and 2022.

Scott Decker, mayor of Dickinson, said if it wins this time, the state has to honor the will of the voters. Whether his area would see economic benefits or new residents, he pointed out energy jobs have a big presence and there is a potential conflict.

"Even if recreational marijuana is passed, individuals working in the energy sector are still gonna have to pass drug tests," Decker explained. "That's just a standard in the industry. Safety is paramount. "

He also wondered about local police having enough resources to secure technology for field sobriety tests, especially if revenues do not trickle down to his city of nearly 25,000 people. But Decker acknowledged other criminal justice aspects of legalization, noting there are too many people with low-level marijuana offenses who are incarcerated.

Tom Erdmann, mayor of Carrington, said his constituents are fairly conservative on the issue. He doubts his town would ever be a hotbed for marijuana retail sales but no matter the dynamics, he said any possible revenue would be a bonus.

"You know, any tax revenue that we get, whether it's from tobacco sales or highway use tax or any of those things that are not necessarily listed every year in our budget, we don't send it, that's for sure," Erdmann emphasized. "We keep it and use it in places where we need the funds to go."

He added Carrington has a solid economic base but his revenue sentiments illustrate the pros and cons communities have to wrestle with as legalization debates resurface. Petition organizers tout a range of economic boosts, while also stating their proposed policy is pretty restrictive compared to other states.


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Work is being done in rural areas across Texas to make sure students are prepared for the workforce even if they intend to stay put after graduation.

One new study showed only 31% of adults in non-metro areas have a degree from a junior college or university. The nonprofit Jobs for the Future creates opportunities for the education system and local businesses to work together in hopes of increasing the number.

Sarah Jenness, senior manager of the group, said there are three key changes leaders in rural areas could make to improve training for students.

"Strategy number one, build on your local strengths and contacts," Jenness outlined. "Strategy number two is thinking about how to prioritize inclusive economic development. And then finally, the third strategy was around embedding remote opportunities."

Jenness argued schools, local economic development agencies and businesses need to collaborate to create opportunities. A couple of options are dual enrollment, where high school students also earn college credits, and work-based learning, so they can hone their skills on the job.

The study found in the U.S., the benefits of economic systems are unevenly distributed and certain groups and communities suffer the most, particularly rural areas. Disparities are also seen across lines of race, ethnicity and gender.

Jenness stressed gaps can be closed if rural students receive training for the types of jobs available in their communities.

"What are the industries that employ the most rural workers? And the top three that we think tend to be -- you know, have good quality jobs -- are industries like government, manufacturing and health care," Jenness explained.

She added remote work is also a key strategy to ensure rural students have access to a variety of well-paid jobs.


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A lack of staff and know-how often means rural towns miss out on grants to improve their communities, and a Texas group is trying to balance the scales.

Billions of dollars will soon be flowing from the federal government to states for broadband, water and energy upgrades, transportation infrastructure and other projects. To help rural towns and nonprofits secure the money, Texas Rural Funders has stepped in.

Kelty Garbee, executive director of the group, said their online grants hub includes a list of grants available to rural groups.

"I regularly receive calls saying, 'We need to upgrade our fire station or our school is looking for support for a particular project,'" Garbee explained. "It's very overwhelming to figure out where to find grants in the first place."

Garbee noted about 50 federal and state grant opportunities are listed on the website, along with grant writers who can be hired to assist rural governments or organizations with applications. She explained the Hub preselects grants for which they know rural areas are eligible.

She pointed out essential needs in small towns to often go unfunded because of limited tax revenues. She hopes resources on the hub's website will give small communities a leg up.

"Often in a rural community, one person has so many jobs," Garbee observed. "What we've done is vet the grant writers. They'll send in work samples of grants they've written so you can actually download this roster of grant writers."

Texas is expected to receive about $2.5 billion for water infrastructure through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. As the state with the largest rural population, it also will receive billions in federal dollars in broadband infrastructure grants.


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