A new report says some Nebraska communities have lost a major source of local news this year.

The "State of Local News" report evaluates the availability of print and digital journalism for every county and state in the nation. Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism has released its annual findings since 2016, and the new report says Nebraska lost nine weekly newspapers this year, nearly 7% of the state's weeklies. The daily newspaper total remained the same.

Visting professor Penelope Muse Abernathy at Medill said the loss of a newspaper can have a huge impact on a community.

"When you lose a weekly newspaper," she said, "you not only lose the person who shows up at the school board or at the county commissioner meeting, or covers the local festivals, but you also are much less likely to get any sort of replacement."

Eleven of Nebraska's 93 counties now have no local news source, and 46 have only one. The report also mentions a $500 million commitment by philanthropists to support local news, the rise of many alternative news outlets and a growing awareness among policymakers about the need to bolster local news.

Only two of Nebraska's neighboring states lost a higher percentage of weekly papers this year - Iowa lost 8% and South Dakota lost 9%. Abernathy said the current trends contribute to a deepening divide between urban and rural America.

As Abernathy put it, "What I worry about the most is, we're moving toward a nation of journalism 'haves' -- most of the people who have a wealth of access to local journalism tend to live in our larger metro areas -- and the journalism 'have-nots,' they tend to be more in the rural areas."

Also concerning, Abernathy said, is their observation that news deserts tend to have higher rates of poverty.

"So, this is a real issue about how you get information to people who desperately need the information that newspapers have historically provided," she said, "that help them craft decisions to work toward a better quality of life."

Nationwide, more than 200 counties lack a single local news outlet, and since 2005, the country has lost nearly 3,000 newspapers.

Indiana ranks 50th in the nation for voter turnout, just ahead of West Virginia, according to the Indiana Bar Foundation Civic Health Index.

Kate Sweeney Bell, clerk of Marion County, is determined to change the statistic as she prepares for the Presidential election on Nov. 5. She urged Hoosiers to register by Oct. 7.

"It's not automatic," Sweeney Bell pointed out. "If you have a reasonable expectation to be out of the country on Election Day, if you're caring for someone who is confined or if you're confined to your residence, those are some of the reasons that you can vote absentee by mail."

Early voting is Oct. 8 through Nov. 4, giving voters ample opportunity to cast their ballots. Sweeney Bell stressed the importance of absentee voting.

Sweeney Bell also highlighted a new law recently passed to protect poll and election workers.

"I would say to anyone who is thinking of causing a stink at a vote center: We have a new law on the books I supported to make it a felony to intimidate or harm a poll worker," Sweeney Bell emphasized.

Madison County recently received a $188,000 grant ahead of Election Day. The money from the Help America Vote Act is a fraction of the $1 million being distributed throughout the state. Madison County is using the money to buy new electronic poll books, backup batteries for voting machines and to make improvements to the county's election website. However, it is not only money needed for the election. In Indianapolis, Sweeney Bell said she needs people to work at polls.

"We never have enough," Sweeney Bell acknowledged. "We will cover every vote center that we have for Election Day, and here in Marion County, we have 186 locations. We're going to be busy, busy, busy."


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A close primary race in Washington state is highlighting the issue of vote splitting and how ranked choice voting could provide a solution.

The Commissioner of Public Lands' race is still too close to call more than two weeks after the election and could be heading for a recount. It is a top two primary, meaning the two highest vote-getters will go on to the general election.

Tony Ivey, political and civic engagement manager for the advocacy group Washington Conservation Action, said it has created an odd situation where the majority of Washingtonians voted for Democratic candidates, but two Republicans could face off in November.

"We became very concerned about the potential of vote splitting," Ivey explained. "While Washington voters heavily support climate-friendly candidates and heavily support climate action, we could end up with a situation where, despite the majority of voters selecting a climate friendly candidate, two non-climate friendly candidates could end up in the general election."

Ivey pointed out it could have been avoided by using a ranked choice voting system to let voters rank the candidates who aligned with their views.

Ranked choice voting is catching on across the country, including in Washington, where Seattle will implement the system in city primary elections in 2027.

Nilu Jenks, political director for the nonprofit FairVote Washington, said not every city or county in the state can do it, which is why her organization has been pushing the legislature to pass a local options bill. She argued a ranked-choice system would engage more voters.

"In a time when we're finding voter participation is dropping, I hope to see more people embrace ranked choice voting," Jenks emphasized. "One, we can avoid vote splitting and see people's preferences actually show up on the general ballot, but two, where voters feel like their voice matters."

Ranked choice voting has faced opposition, including from Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, who said the system is too confusing and would create accessibility issues.

But Ivey rejected his assessment, saying ranked-choice would actually do the opposite.

"What we see is that ranked choice voting makes our system more democratic," Ivey stressed. "It better reflects the will of the voters and it's very easy."


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The Democratic National Convention in Chicago is buzzing with energy and several Hoosiers are there on the ground, ushering in Vice President Kamala Harris' presumed nomination.

Derek Camp, chairman of the Allen County Democratic Party and a delegate to the convention, said Hoosier voters are concerned about ensuring women's reproductive rights.

"One of the tings I hear the most back home is Indiana is reproductive rights -- a woman's right to choose as well as birth control -- those are very important and high on the minds of a lot of voters back home in Indiana," Camp explained. "It's certainly something that Donald Trump has made clear that he is going to remove."

Camp sees voter enthusiasm growing in Indiana, especially among young people who are stepping forward to get involved knocking on doors and becoming party precinct chairs. Camp pointed out he has not seen this kind of energy in Indiana since 2008 when President Barack Obama was elected to his first term. It was also the first time since 1964 Indiana chose a Democrat for president.

While the historic nomination of Kamala Harris at the top of the Democratic ticket sizzles, Camp noted Democrats are also thankful for the years of service from President Joe Biden.

"What he also has done and shown yet again is he has got decades of service to his country and to his community," Camp stressed. "And by understanding that the best thing for this country is him stepping aside and passing the baton to the very capable Vice President Harris who will make history herself. "

The Indiana delegation is being led by former U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly, who recently stepped down as U.S. ambassador to the Holy See. By the close of the four-day convention, Indiana's 88 delegates will have played a key role in nominating Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as the Democratic candidates for the 2024 presidential election.


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