Investigators in the U.S. phoned 2,251 households in January 2011 to get a handle on the importance of local news for a report released two days ago by the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism and Internet & American Life Project.
Two quotes stand out for me:
Nearly three quarters (72%) of adults are quite attached to following local news and information, and local newspapers are by far the source they rely on for much of the local information they need [my emphasis] . In fact, local news enthusiasts are substantially more wedded to their local newspapers than others. They are much more likely than others to say that if their local newspaper vanished, it would have a major impact on their ability to get the local information they want.  This is especially true of local news followers age 40 and older, who differ from younger local news enthusiasts in some key ways.
and
Among all adults, the most closely followed local topics are weather, breaking news, politics and crime, [my emphasis] all followed by a solid majority of two thirds or more. Slightly less popular topics but still with a fairly good following of about half or more are arts and culture, local businesses, schools and education, community and neighborhood events, restaurants, taxes and traffic. Fewer survey respondents follow local news about housing, local government activity, job openings, social services, or zoning. Roughly four in 10 adults or fewer follow these local topics.
For a copy of the study, refer to: http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Local-news-enthusiasts/Summary-of-Findings.aspx
