Introduction to the Community Journalism Special Issue

Abstract

Whether we call it community or rural, small-town newspapers, radio, and to a lesser extent, television stations, are still out there pumping the news to a largely loyal following. What is "community journalism?" Wiki says "Community journalism is locally oriented, professional news coverage that typically focuses on city neighborhoods, individual suburbs or small towns, rather than metropolitan, state, national or world news." It goes on to note that these "Community newspapers, often but not always published weekly, also tend to cover subjects larger news media do not, such as students on the honor roll at the local high school, school sports, crimes such as vandalism, zoning issues and other details of community life. Sometimes dismissed as "chicken dinner" stories, such 'hyperlocal' coverage often plays a vital role in building and maintaining neighborhoods."

They also rarely get much attention from national media or academic researchers. For our part, the Online Journal of Research & Policy proudly offers three research articles addressing rural mass communication.