Jake Nelson is an associate professor in the University of Utah’s communications department. He researches the relationships between journalism and the public.
Through his research, Nelson has found when local news is not readily available, people tend to get all their news from cable sources like CNN, Fox and MSNBC. This, in turn, affects people’s perceptions of the news industry more broadly.
“If their news is coming primarily from these sources that feel very disconnected from their daily lives and from the issues that are actually embroiling their communities, they tend to have much more negative perceptions of journalists,” Nelson said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” June 6.
A lack of local news sources also leads to a less informed public, Nelson said, and can even make people more susceptible to misinformation on social media.
That’s one of the reasons the White House’s rescission memorandum issued to Congress earlier this week has raised concerns. The memo urges Congress to “claw back” almost $1.1 billion in funds already appropriated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. Of that, $770 million goes directly to local stations. According to National Public Radio, the rescission could force dozens of local news sources to shut down.
KPCW would also be affected. KPCW typically receives $264,000 in community service grants from the CPB each year, about 14% of its operating budget. Without the money, the station would have to make up the deficit to ensure no changes in services and programming.
According to the Trump administration, the funding repeal is necessary because NPR and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) don’t present a “fair, accurate, or unbiased portrayal of current events to taxpaying citizens.”
The U.S. House of Representatives may vote on the rescission memo as soon as next week.
