"An ice-water wakeup call? A tough-love kick in the pants? A five-alarm fire? The new "survival guide" from Northeastern's Reinventing Local TV News Project does not mince words. Building on a survey of more than 1,000 adults ages 18 to 34, it lays out local TV broadcasts' irrelevance to young audiences' digital- and mobile-first news consumption habits with a brutal call to action."
"For much of the 21st century, local TV news has appeared relatively stable - and profitable - next to the decimation of print. But in 2025, that profitability is slipping, as the same industry headwinds catch up to a sector that's been slow to innovate. The report notes that "built-in financial advantages" including cable TV retransmission fees and political advertising may have helped hold off the industry's demise, but now, "the warning signs are real.""
""Local TV news is facing its most critical challenge since the introduction of television 100 years ago," the report's authors write. "The audience that will determine the industry's survival - 18- to 34-year-olds - has already moved to digital platforms where most TV stations barely exist, or struggle to effectively connect with the demographic." In other words, "your TV station is on fire.""
Local TV news faces rapid audience erosion among 18–34-year-olds, who primarily consume news on digital and mobile platforms. Longstanding financial advantages delayed industry decline, but profitability is slipping in 2025 as headwinds catch up to a sector slow to innovate. Revenue from retransmission fees and political advertising no longer fully shields stations. Survival depends on adopting digital-first engagement strategies and best practices to connect with younger audiences immediately. Alternative approaches include rebuilding funding models for streaming to sustain local journalism and preserve the democratic functions of local news.
Read at Nieman Lab
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