Rethinking “Sustainability” as a Multidimensional Conceptual Framework for Local Journalism Studies

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ABSTRACT Academics, industry leaders and governments have increasingly focused on the future of local news, exploring innovative models, funding solutions and regulatory frameworks to ensure its survival and relevance in an evolving media landscape. The journalism “crisis” has been particularly evident in rural and regional areas, where sustaining local news provision has been especially challenging. While scholars have adopted a variety of approaches to research this problem, there is scant literature that explores the notion of “local news sustainability” as a conceptual frame. This paper outlines a multidimensional approach that expands the primary economic focus by considering how the important social, cultural and political roles local news outlets play in their communities, and their strong connection to geographic places, shape sustainability. The paper also suggests that a greater consideration of time and endurance is required to help develop more meaningful, longer-term solutions to local news futures. This paper draws on cross disciplinary literature to problematise the concept of sustainability for local news.