Understanding Media Markets

Medill is analyzing data from a variety of media markets in a project to correlate local news consumption with other demographic factors in those areas. Each media market has its own personality, and no single solution can cure the problems of local news everywhere. But by identifying common characteristics, we can draw valid comparisons and share innovative ideas.

Latest Research

Oct 19, 2020
Understanding Media Markets

How Is Boise Like a Suburb of Nashville When It Comes to News? Professors Call for Deeper Thinking About Media Markets and Innovation

In a project launched at Northwestern University, researchers are working on sophisticated ways to identify news media markets that are similar to each other. The ...

Research Faculty and Staff

Rachel Davis Mersey

Former Executive Director, Medill’s Media Leadership Center

Mersey, now a University of Texas professor, is a former associate professor at Medill and fellow at Northwestern’s Institute for Policy Research. She is the author of an influential 2010 book assessing the future of local news, Can Journalism Be Saved? Rediscovering America’s Appetite for News.

Stephanie Edgerly

Professor and Associate Dean of Research

Edgerly specializes in audience insight, conducting research into how features of new media alter the way people consume news and how new media affects political engagement. She is a Faculty Associate at Northwestern’s Institute for Policy Research.