This fall, Deep South Today partnered with Murmuration, a nonprofit that strengthens community-driven change at the local level, to understand how people across the Deep South stay informed: where they go for information, what sources they rely on and which stories stay with them. Together, we surveyed more than 5,000 residents across Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. 

Across people in the Deep South, about half said they still turn to local television, newspapers or regional websites for political and civic information, almost as many as those who rely on national broadcasts. Social media was just as common, with roughly 55% using platforms like Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram to keep up. Around 1 in 5 listen to podcasts or talk radio, and many said they also learn about current events from friends, family or people they follow online.

In a world where national headlines dominate feeds, this mix of sources reveals something important: People in the South still look for news that feels close, familiar and relevant to their lives. 

The Story is Local

When asked to name a story that had recently caught their attention, 1 in 4 people pointed to something local — a shooting in town, a new policy in Baton Rouge, a school event in Memphis, or a community initiative nearby. That’s a couple points higher (+2.6pp) than in other parts of the country (the range across all 50 states was 12% to 29% local story recall). About 14% of stories were multiclassified because they spanned levels of geography (e.g. “I saw a news story covering Trump and China suspending tariffs for 90 days that caught my attention.”).

Certain patterns stand out. Women were significantly more likely than men to remember local stories (+11pp). Younger adults were far more attuned to community happenings than older residents (+9pp). Urban dwellers remembered more than suburban or rural ones (+7-8pp). Black Southerners remembered more than white Southerners (+5pp). People without college degrees (+7pp), and parents with children at home (+5pp), were also more likely to recall a local event.

Most of those local stories, however, focused on violence or tragedy. Nearly 6 in 10 covered crime, 4 in 10 addressed violence, and 1 in 10 involved both. By contrast, only about 1 in 10 mentioned government, policy, or civic action. In the Deep South, people remember what they feel and often, what they feel most sharply are the moments of loss.

Local news REALLY matters 

At the same time, local story recall was stronger in Mississippi (25%) and Louisiana (24%) where local outlets like Mississippi Today, Verite News and The Current continue to invest in community-based reporting. It was similarly solid in Arkansas (26%). On the other hand, in Alabama and Tennessee, recall lagged behind (20% and 21%, respectively). 

Access to credible local information is critical because people who regularly consume local news are more than 13 percentage points more likely to say they feel informed about social and political issues in their community.

Why does that matter? Because access to information doesn’t just shape what people know. It shapes what they do. Among those who feel knowledgeable about local life, roughly two-thirds say they vote in every local election (66%). Among those who do not feel informed, the number drops by half (35%).

Final thoughts

This partnership between Deep South Today and Murmuration began as a simple idea: to bridge real-time data with local storytelling and see what we might learn about civic life in a part of the country often written about, but rarely written with.

What we found is that local news still carries real power — not because it’s nostalgic or small, but because it’s near. It is the heartbeat of trust and participation. It shapes whether people feel seen, whether they show up, and whether they believe what happens next is still up to them.

We uncovered so much, yet the deeper questions are still unfolding:

• How do we rebuild local information networks so that everyone can see what’s happening in their own backyard?
• What would it look like to invest in stories that strengthen belonging, not just break news?
• How can researchers and journalists work together to make local truth-telling more visible, more trusted, and more lasting?

If democracy begins with knowing your neighbors, then the future of civic life may depend on something easier said than done: keeping the story close to home.

Thank you to Murmuration!

ABOUT DEEP SOUTH TODAY

Deep South Today is a nonprofit network of local newsrooms that includes Mississippi Today, Verite News, and The Current.

Founded in 2016, Mississippi Today is now the largest newsroom in the state, and in 2023 it won the Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting. Verite News launched in 2022 in New Orleans, where it covers inequities facing communities of color. The Current is a nonprofit news organization founded in 2018 serving Lafayette and southern Louisiana.

With its regional scale and scope, Deep South Today is rebuilding and re-energizing local journalism in communities where it had previously eroded, and ensuring its long-term growth and sustainability.

ABOUT MURMURATION

Murmuration is a nonprofit that strengthens community-driven change at the local level. By equipping local organizations with powerful data, technology, and insights, Murmuration helps them amplify community voices, build collective power and drive solutions that reflect the lived realities of the people they serve. murmuration.org