Whether by giving a detailed report about education standards, highlighting a local food festival or covering the bankruptcy of a prominent nursing home operator, local news outlets cover stories that affect daily life — stories that might otherwise go untold.

“Without local newsrooms, it’s almost impossible to follow everything that’s impacting you in your community,” said Anna Brown, executive director of Citizens Count, a nonprofit in New Hampshire dedicated to civic engagement.

Understanding local issues is intertwined with democracy and strong communities, said Loretta Chao, head of startup studio and local news innovation at the American Journalism Project, a national philanthropy effort established to strengthen local newsrooms.

“Supporting local news isn’t about saving journalis

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