ABSTRACT
The general literature on how community media relate to the communities they cover is based primarily in the work of scholars who studied local newspapers—especially weeklies—in the United States. A central element of this research is that news organizations are integral parts of the community structure where they operate and that their coverage decisions relate to being a community stakeholder (Rosenberry, 2012). Community newspapers create a sense of place for readers (Buchanan, 2009) and foster social cohesion (Emke, 2001; Yamamoto, 2011). The theory building that comes from this research is central to assessing the impact of Irish community media on community identity.
