ABSTRACT
The past several decades have seen concerns about the development and sustenance of local communities. Political scientist Robert Putnam (1996) describes the demise of local civic engagement. The Federal Communication Commission’s report on the “Information Needs of Communities” highlighted flagging efforts at local accountability journalism (Waldman, 2011). Concerned about the vibrancy of communities, several foundations have been funding projects aiming to improve local civic life. The signal from these data is clear: something is amiss in our local communities.
