Who’s Watching the School Board? Inside America’s Local News Collapse

from The Smerconish Podcast · host Tim Franklin, Michael Smerconish

Check out the Medill Local News Initiative here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What this episode covers

Over the last two decades, America has lost 40% of its newspapers—and print circulation has dropped 70%. Michael sits down with Northwestern U. Professor Tim Franklin, director of the Medill Local News Initiative, to unpack what’s really happening to local journalism. From “news deserts” and ghost papers to the rise of digital startups and the role of public broadcasting, they explore what’s at stake when no one’s left to cover the school board—or the obituaries. Are we losing the local glue that holds our communities together? Original air date 27 October 2025.

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Who’s Watching the School Board? Inside America’s Local News Collapse

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How long is this episode of The Smerconish Podcast?

This episode is 27 minutes long.

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This episode was published on October 27, 2025.

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