News Deserts as Information Problems: A Case Study of Local News Coverage in Alabama

This paper explores the phenomenon of news deserts as information problems to navigate research opportunities and theorize its dynamics. Drawing on the theory of local information landscapes, news deserts are conceptualized as more than merely an absence of news organizations or content; rather, emphasizing the structural and material dimensions of local news ecosystems, such as fragmentation, transience, and inconsistent distribution. We argue that news deserts should be understood as material pre-conditions of people's inability to access, interpret, and engage with local information. To empirically ground this conceptualization, we conduct a case study in Alabama, using over 30,000 news articles from a local news operation. Through geographic, thematic, and temporal analyses, paired with population and crime statistics, we uncover patterns of underreporting, geographic bias, and thematic concentration. Our findings demonstrate that news deserts can emerge even in areas served by active news outlets, contributing to a broader understanding of the uneven distribution of local information, vital for civic engagement and community well-being.