Dark Deserts: Dwindling newspapers associated with greater government secrecy
A new study from the Brechner Freedom of Information (FOI) Project at the University of Florida finds that states with weaker newspaper environments are associated with greater government secrecy.
The study, published in the July 2025 News Research Journal, found that states with fewer newspapers per capita and financially weak press associations are more likely to have state government agencies that violate public record laws.
“Newspapers have traditionally pressured government to be more transparent and accountable to the people, so when those newspapers disappear, secrecy spreads,” said David Cuillier, a co-author of the study and director of the Brechner FOI Project,. “This study quantifies what we’ve always known intuitively: Newspapers are essential to a strong democracy.”
Brett Posner-Ferdman, a law student at Penn State University, led the study for his honors thesis at UF. He requested the same seven types of public records from state agencies across the country and then tracked their responses. Some provided the records, as required by law, some did not, and some did not even respond to the requests.
The researchers then compared the public records request compliance figures to state-level data for the number of newspapers per capita, as well as the per-capita budgets for state press associations. Press associations have long lobbied legislatures to improve their public record laws.
The results are a wakeup call for those who cherish a healthy democracy. More and more newspapers are going out of business, leaving hundreds of counties in the nation without a news source. In the past 20 years, the country has lost 60% of its journalists. With fewer reporters pushing for public records, government officials have been more likely to ignore the law, Cuillier said.
The authors recommend greater emphasis in aiding new forms of journalism that are replacing legacy newspapers, such as independent online news outlets and citizen-based government accountability organizations.
“Government transparency is never guaranteed,” Posner-Ferdman said. “Without local journalists utilizing FOI requests and the legal system to hold governments accountable, crucial information gets withheld from the public. Studies like these, highlight why journalism, and especially local journalism, remains one of the most crucial pillars of our democracy and should be protected at all costs.”
Category: Brechner Center, College News
Tagged: Brechner Freedom of Information Project David Cuillier News Deserts public records
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