In early 2025, the Agora Journalism Center partnered with the City of Florence, local media, and community organizations to assess how residents access, trust, and use local news and civic information. With a population that skews older and a patchwork of information channels—ranging from Facebook groups to library bulletin boards—Florence faces the challenge of keeping residents informed without a single, consistent hub. The project, conducted by University of Oregon students, included a co-designed survey with 106 responses, a well-attended listening session, and weekly planning meetings with community partners. The findings reveal both the frustrations of a fragmented system and the community’s deep desire for more timely, inclusive, and coordinated ways to stay connected.
Key Insights
- Fragmented Information Ecosystem: Residents rely on a mix of social media, flyers, city emails, radio, and word of mouth, but no single trusted source consistently meets their needs.
- Concerns About Declining Local Journalism: While the Siuslaw News remains a fixture, residents want more depth, timeliness, and investigative coverage, as well as greater transparency and local representation.
- High Demand for Timely Civic Information: Residents want clear, relevant coverage of local government, school board meetings, infrastructure projects, and ballot measures.
- Need for Inclusive Communication Channels: Many are frustrated with Facebook’s gatekeeping and seek more offline, accessible options such as bulletin boards, newsletters, and in-person gatherings.
- Desire for Stronger Community Connection: Residents want stories, events, and spaces that bring people together, foster dialogue, and reflect Florence’s diversity.
Recommendations
- Create a Centralized Community Information Hub: Develop a single, trusted source (e.g., an updated community calendar, weekly digest, or phone line) for local updates, events, and opportunities.
- Strengthen Collaboration Between Local Organizations and Media: Coordinate messaging and share content across institutions, and consider launching a local Documenters program to expand civic coverage.
- Build Public Understanding of Local Journalism’s Constraints: Increase transparency about newsroom challenges, host workshops on how local media works, and explore community-supported journalism models.
- Invest in Inclusive and Multimodal Communication: Ensure information is accessible both digitally and physically, use plain language, and support trusted community spaces for information-sharing.
- Support Youth Civic Engagement and Storytelling: Create pathways for youth to contribute reporting, audio storytelling, and civic participation to strengthen intergenerational connections.
To read the full report and explore our detailed findings and recommendations, click the “Read The Report” link to the right.