The local news and information environment is changing in ways that most people believe makes it easier for them to get the specific information they want about their communities. More than half of Americans (55%) say it is easier today to get the local information they want than it was five years ago. Just 12% say it is harder, and 30% say they have noticed no change over that time. Younger adults and those with the most access to technology (especially broadband and smartphones) express the most enthusiasm about the increased ease of using the local news and information ecosystem over the past five years.

Despite that, people do not believe they are getting all the local news they need. Indeed, just 31% of adults say their local sources give them all of the local news and information that matters to them. The majority (58%) say they get only some of the news and information that matters, while 8% say they get little or none.