From Kroger Aisles to Ballot Boxes: Why Local Journalism (and Elections) Deserve Your Attention

Kathrine Nero

Walk into any local Kroger on a Saturday morning and you’ll see what democracy looks like in passing. Shoppers hustling for produce and coffee, earbuds in, minds elsewhere – while a city council candidate quietly hands out flyers near the entrance. Most people walk past without a glance. They know who’s running for president next year. But the person trying to shape their neighborhood today? Not so much.

This is the paradox of American democracy: we’re obsessed with national politics, but it’s our local government that actually shapes our day-to-day lives. And the people working hardest to keep those decisions transparent and accountable? Often, it’s our local journalists — the ones showing up at zoning meetings, reading the fine print in budget proposals and explaining why that new ordinance might change your commute, your taxes or your kids’ school.

The Real Power Is Local

It’s easy to forget, but most of what touches our lives – where sidewalks get repaired, how safe our streets are, what our kids are taught in school – happens at the local level. Mayors, city councils, school boards and planning commissions are the bodies making decisions that affect everything from our garbage pickup to whether a new coffee shop opens around the corner.

And yet, turnout for these elections is dismal. Many voters skip them entirely, or leave sections of the ballot blank because they don’t recognize the names. It’s not apathy. It’s often confusion. There’s just not enough information. There’s no one-stop shop for understanding who these people are or what they stand for – unless you dig. And most of us are too busy to dig.

Journalism: The Missing Bridge

It used to be that this information came to us. Over TV airwaves, in morning and afternoon papers, on radio newscasts. But those media outlets have been shrinking for decades, and with it, our understanding of the political world around us.

This is exactly where local journalism steps in — or should. When it’s done well, local reporting acts as civic infrastructure. It explains what a bond issue really means, breaks down which council member voted for what and investigates when something shady goes down at city hall.

But with newsroom cutbacks and shrinking budgets, this kind of accountability reporting has taken a major hit. Many local papers have folded or consolidated. Reporters are stretched thinner than ever. And while national news continues to dominate timelines headlines and algorithms, there are fewer eyes on the decisions that hit closest to home.

In Cincinnati, many outlets are still holding the line, shining light where most of us aren’t looking. But the pressure’s real. And so is the risk of silence.

You Probably Know More About the White House Than City Hall

This goes beyond simply a media problem. It’s a civic one. We live in a culture where the average person can tell you every scandal in Washington but not the name of their city council rep. Presidential elections come with fireworks. Local ones barely come with a flyer on your door.

That disconnect has consequences. If we don’t know who’s making decisions for us, we can’t hold them accountable. We can’t vote them out. We can’t push them to do better. And frankly, we can’t complain when something changes — because we were never paying attention in the first place.

Journalism as Civic GPS

Think of local journalism as your civic GPS. It helps you navigate ballots, understand public meetings and know what’s going on in your own backyard. It’s the source that explains why your property taxes are going up, or why a library expansion might be delayed. It’s the explainer that tells you what that cryptic ballot issue actually means — without the political spin.

And increasingly, it’s adapting to new platforms. From newsletters and podcasts to TikTok videos, the tools are changing. But the goal remains the same: to help people make informed decisions and protect democracy from the ground up.

Democracy Starts with the Neighborhood

There’s a phrase you hear a lot in politics: “All politics are local.” But the same should be said of democracy. If we want a government that reflects our values, we need to show up – not just every four years, but every time someone asks for our vote. And to do that well, we need information we can trust.

That’s why supporting local journalism matters. That’s why reading about your local school board race matters. That’s why talking to the person handing out flyers at Kroger might matter more than the latest tweet from DC.

Because the people who fix your roads, fund your schools, and shape your city? They’re on the ballot. And you deserve to know who they are — and what they’re doing.

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