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.
Topic: Information Needs Assessment
Community Perspectives on Oakridge’s Information Ecosystem (2025)
The closure of the Dead Mountain Echo in 2020 and limited capacity of the Highway 58 Herald have left Oakridge relying heavily on Facebook, word of mouth, and bulletin boards. While residents expressed deep pride in their community, they voiced frustration over fragmented, biased, or outdated information.
How do you find out what you want to know about your community?
University of Oregon researchers are surveying local area residents about how they find out — and would like to find out — about local news
Assessing Oregon’s Local News & Information Ecosystem 2022
This report represents one step toward assessing the state of local news in Oregon and what can be done to strengthen it. Counting and mapping Oregon’s local news producers will track further changes. And by looking at initiatives underway around the country, Oregon’s newsrooms, educators, funders, and policy-makers can consider emerging innovations to build the vitality of Oregon’s local news that mean communities’ information needs.
Community Perspectives on Hermiston’s Information Ecosystem (2022)
Through surveys, site visits, and facilitated conversations, students explored how residents get and share local news, what sources they trust, and where information gaps exist. Overall, residents rated themselves as fairly well informed. Facebook—especially the “What’s Happening in Hermiston” and “NEW What’s Happening in Hermiston” groups—was the most frequently used source for local updates, though trust in it was mixed.
University of Oregon promotes survey to understand how people get their news
Where do you go to learn of news? What type of information is most important to you? How informed do you feel about things happening in your community? All of these questions, and more, are on the survey, which is
Community Perspectives on La Pine’s Information Ecosystem (2018)
Through a community-wide survey, stakeholder interviews, and listening sessions, the project aimed to identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities in La Pine’s information ecosystem. The findings revealed that while residents value staying informed—particularly on local events, public safety, and community development—there is no single, centralized source of information.