“The Oregon information industry is in peril…”

In April 2021, those seven words opened a request to the Oregon Community Foundation from several influential news leaders, asking for a meeting to discuss potential solutions to “a burgeoning crisis of facts.”

The journalists that reached out to Oregon’s leading philanthropic foundation were troubled by the local news industry’s inability to deliver news about critical public issues in a way that connects our citizenry in a shared experience. From rural areas with no news coverage at all to linguistically and ethnically distinct communities with barriers to civic engagement, the decline of trusted local journalism statewide was undermining the work of civic institutions and allowing misinformation to gain a dangerous foothold, filling the void that facts once filled.

In the context of a nationwide market failure of the local newspaper industry and a corresponding 67% decline in working journalists, communities and philanthropists across the country were recognizing the vital role local news plays in thriving communities by strengthening our democracy, supporting smarter public policy outcomes, and fostering community cohesion. Oregon Community Foundation agreed and joined key business groups, unions and civic leaders in funding a study by Oregon News Exploration.

Thanks to their financial support, and the support of more than 20 individuals, businesses and organizations, an experienced team conducted Oregon’s most comprehensive analysis of newsroom challenges, consumer attitudes about news and information, and exposure to misinformation. During three years of research and working with the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center, ONE communicated directly with more than 3,400 residents of Oregon and Washington through statewide surveys, focus groups, and person-to-person interviews. The research was done in four languages, using surveys and listening sessions specific to communities of color and rural areas. ONE’s findings reveal a crisis-level lack of news and information that communities need, want, and are asking for.

Oregonians told us they are feeling the effects of decades of institutional racism, the marginalization of rural communities, a lack of access to information in their native languages, and a low volume of original reporting that reflects their experiences and issues that deeply matter to them. They want information that helps them understand what’s happening in their neighborhoods and towns, navigate their daily lives and engage with civic institutions. They are frustrated by selective reporting and the way it portrays or ignores them. Significant numbers of Black, Hispanic, Native, immigrant and rural Oregonians feel overlooked or stereotyped in mainstream media and want more ways to share their perspectives and celebrate success in their communities. Absent those opportunities, they are increasingly dependent on social media, even while they recognize that it exposes them to misinformation that complicates their daily lives, undermines efforts to build community and discourages civic engagement.

In August 2023, Oregon News Exploration joined the American Journalism Project’s Local News Incubator and began an 18-month journey to advance a vision for local news that is responsive to what’s been learned.

The Oregon News Exploration is now moving beyond its study phase and developing a news organization that provides trusted news and information to under-served communities.

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