By DEAN RIDINGS
America’s Newspapers

Strong communities don’t just happen. They rely on connection – residents knowing what’s going on, businesses reaching the customers who keep them open, and citizens having the facts to make good decisions. Local newspapers provide that connection in ways no other source can.
In today’s fractured media environment, trust is the rarest commodity. Confidence in “the media” is low. Only 18% of Americans say they trust news on social platforms, and fewer than one in four trust cable networks. But nearly two-thirds say they trust their local newspaper—more than double the confidence placed in most other outlets.