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Local Newspaper Coverage of Congress

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  • Matthew Eshbaugh‐Soha
  • Lanie Richards

Abstract

Objectives In the early 2000s, a large literature concluded that local newspapers cover members of Congress in predictable ways to fulfill their quintessential and informative role in a democracy. Since these publications, however, local newspapers have consolidated, reduced coverage, and even disappeared, a trend that has continued post‐Covid. The task of this article is to assess the congressional news environment amid these cataclysmic shifts in local news coverage. Methods We use negative binomial regression to examine the number of local newspaper articles of US Representatives between the 115th Congress and the 118th Congress. Findings We find that coverage of US Representatives varies considerably by newspaper, variables that explain local newspaper coverage differ between the 115th and 118th Congresses, and important changes to newspapers post‐Covid erode more of the public's access to news coverage of their representatives. Conclusion A positive view of our research suggests that dramatic changes in the local news environment have not fully undermined the role local newspapers play in providing at least some citizens with adequate news coverage of their US Representatives.

Suggested Citation

  • Matthew Eshbaugh‐Soha & Lanie Richards, 2025. "Local Newspaper Coverage of Congress," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 106(7), December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:socsci:v:106:y:2025:i:7:n:e70121
    DOI: 10.1111/ssqu.70121
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