Why Local Radio News Still Matters—And Why It's Making a Comeback
Radio broadcast companies should invest more in news, not cut it.
A quiet but important shift is happening on your FM and AM dial: more radio stations are bringing back local news.
According to the latest survey from RTDNA and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, 70.5% of all radio stations now air local news. That’s up 6.3% from last year and marks the second straight year of growth.
AM stations still lead the way, but FM is catching up fast. And the biggest surge comes from commercial stations, where local news coverage jumped from 65% to 75.3%. Locally owned stations are also stepping up, now outpacing corporate-owned stations in providing local news—71.4% to 66.7%.
It’s a rare bright spot in a media landscape that often feels like it's shrinking.
Why This Matters
Local news isn't just about car crashes and city council meetings. It’s about knowing what’s happening around the corner, not just around the world. When wildfires sweep through neighborhoods, when a shooter is on the loose, when evacuation orders go out, the radio is often the first to deliver the news. And crucially, the first to reach people in real time.
Radio doesn’t need to set up a camera crew or wait for a segment slot. If there's a live microphone and a working newsroom, updates can go out right now.
That kind of immediacy is something TV can’t always match, and social media—let’s be honest—is a minefield of rumors and misinformation.
The Trust Factor
There’s another reason local radio news deserves attention: people trust it.
Several surveys in recent years have shown that Americans rank radio news as more trustworthy than cable news, newspapers, and online sources. For example:
A 2022 Edison Research survey found that radio was the most trusted source for local news, especially among older adults and commuters.
A Knight Foundation/Gallup report from 2023 showed that trust in local radio news outpaced national TV and cable by double digits, with fewer partisan divides.
Radio doesn’t come with the same baggage as cable talking heads or clickbait headlines. It’s often just a voice giving you the facts. And in an era of rising media skepticism, that simplicity matters.
Who's Doing the Work?
This rise in local news is happening mostly at stations that still invest in real journalists. It’s not magic, it’s staffing.
If a station has even one good reporter or anchor in place, they can pivot quickly when news breaks. They can call the police, get a statement, hit the airwaves, update the web, and keep the community informed. All in less time than it takes most TV crews to find a parking spot.
The challenge, of course, is that radio newsrooms are under constant pressure. Layoffs, consolidation, automation, ideological pressure from regulators—it’s all still happening. But the new RTDNA numbers suggest something encouraging: when stations do choose to invest in local news, the audience is there. The need is there. And the trust is already built in.
A Modest Proposal
If you're a listener, support your local station. If you’re in charge of one, don’t cut the news budget—grow it. Local radio news might not grab headlines, but it’s still one of the most powerful tools we have for building informed, connected communities.
And when the lights go out and the cell towers go down, guess what still works? A battery-powered radio. And someone on the mic who knows your town.
Another view from my former boss
Alex Silverman, formerly with KNX News 97.1 FM, tells me:
While the report is somewhat encouraging, you have to pair it with data that show a 75% overall decline in local journalists over the past two decades. The more we focus on platform, the less we focus on the real issue, which is the decimation of local journalism and the collapse of the business that underlies it. Whoever can figure out a model that works in 2025 has a major rebuilding project ahead.