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September 23 at 5 p.m.
WVU Media Innovation Center (4th Floor Evansdale Crossing)
Morgantown, West Virginia
The live stream will be available beginning at 5 p.m. on the day of the event.
Watch the Live StreamThis event is hosted by the WVU Reed School of Media and Communications and is free and open to the public. Space is limited; registration is recommended.
A live stream of "America's Rural Future: What do we lose without local news?" will be available beginning at 5 p.m. on September 23, 2026.
The fast-moving changes in media have diminished the flow of valuable and relevant information to rural America and shifted how many people get information about what’s happening in their local communities.
This has important consequences for rural American civic life: as news deserts expand, rural communities lose not just information, but the connective tissue of democratic participation, economic accountability, and shared identity. This public event, hosted to inform America’s Rural Future: The Brookings-AEI Commission on U.S. Rural Prosperity, will explore the implications of these shifts – and the extent to which new models and modes of local news dissemination are filling the void.
This event is co-presented by:
5 p.m.
5:10 p.m.
PANEL 1
West Virginia offers a case study through which we can examine the national consequences of local news decline. As newspapers close, broadcast coverage contracts, and reporting capacity diminishes, communities lose a trusted source of information about local government, schools, businesses, and civic life. This discussion will explore what the erosion of local news means for democratic participation, government accountability, and community cohesion in rural America. Panelists will consider how trends visible in West Virginia reflect broader challenges facing rural communities across the country.
Featuring
5:55 p.m.
Enjoy light refreshments and video presented by Brookings-AEI Commission on US Rural Prosperity.
Intermission is sponsored by the Ogden Newspapers Seminar Series.
6:10 p.m.
PANEL 2
While the loss of traditional local media has created significant gaps, communities across West Virginia and Appalachia are developing new approaches to local news and civic information. This panel will highlight alternative and community-centered media models that are helping rural residents stay informed and engaged. Panelists will examine what is working, where challenges remain, and how these innovations can strengthen civic life in Appalachia and beyond.
Featuring
Associate Director of Strategic Innovation and Professor of Journalism WVU Reed School of Media and Communications
Read More: Dana Coester
Senior Fellow in the Center for Sustainable Development Brookings Institution
Read More: Tony Pipa
Political Journalist and Senior Fellow American Enterprise Institute (AEI)
Read More: Chris Stirewalt
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