CONTINUES AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO CALL ON YOU FOR YOUR EXPERTISE.

>> CATHY: THANK YOU, PROFESSOR.

WE'RE GOING TO TURN OUR ATTENTION TO LOCAL NEWS AND POLITICS NOW.

THE "LITCHFIELD INDEPENDENT REVIEW," THE "HUTCHINSON LEADER," AND SIX OTHER TWIN CITIES SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN NEWSPAPERS CLOSED THIS SUMMER.

IT’S PART OF A NATIONWIDE TREND THAT HAS MANY CONCERNED ABOUT THE IMPACT ON COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY IN AN ELECTION YEAR.

INTERNATIONAL FALLS LOST ITS 110-YEAR-OLD NEWSPAPER IN 2021.

REPORTER KAOMI LEE TRAVELED TO KOOCHICHING COUNTY ON THE CANADIAN BORDER TO FIND OUT HOW THAT COMMUNITY IS STAYING INFORMED.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON.

>> JOE MARSHON OWNS A SHOP IN INTERINTERNATIONAL FALLS.

THERE'S ONE THING EVERYONE CAN AGREE ON.

>> EVERYBODY LOVES THE LAKE, RIGHT?

>> Kaomi: HE'S CHAIR OF THE KOOCHICHING FALLS G.O.P.

THE BORDER AND ITS REMOTE VACATION LAND FEEL.

IT'S ALSO BEEN A D.F.L.

STRONG HOLD UNTIL RECENTLY.

>> KOOCHICHING COUNTY IS NOW RED.

WHEN I FIRST STARTED WITH THE PARTY ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO, IT WAS ABOUT 60-40, D.F.L.

TO G.O.P.

RURAL AMERICA TENDS TO NOW THESE DAYS BE RED.

AND SO IT'S 60-40 THE OTHER WAY THESE DAYS.

>> Kaomi: SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE LIKE HE BEAUTY HERE.

BUT SOME THINGS ARE CHANGING.

LIKE THE POLITICS HERE.

OVER THE YEARS, INTERNATIONAL FALLS AND KOOCHICHING COUNTY HAS BEEN TURNING RED.

ANOTHER THING CHANGING IS HOW PEOPLE ARE GETTING THEIR NEWS.

>> YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND IT IS LITERALLY 50%, 50%, THE GROUP STAY TO THEMSELVES AND BARB THE OTHER SIDE.

THERE'S MANY ISSUES WE COULD ALL GROW ON IF WE COULD SOLVE RELATIVELY QUICKLY.

>> Kaomi: THE COUNTY'S POPULATION HAS BEEN SHRIVING, MORE THAN 9% SINCE 2010.

LAYOFFS AT THE PAPER MILL HAVE HAD AN IMPACT ON LOCAL JOURNALISM, SAYING LAUREL BEINGER.

SHE WAS THE LAST EDITOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL FALLS JOURNAL, A 110 YEAR OLD DAILY NEWSPAPER.

IT SHUT DOWN IN 2021.

WE WERE LIKE SEEN AS KIND OF AN ICONIC NEWSPAPER.

IT WAS MORE THAN 100 YEARS OLD, AND HAD A LONG FAMILY HISTORY OF OWNERSHIP.

FOR A LONG TIME.

IT WAS SHOCKING.

THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT REACHED OUT ACROSS THE NATION.

POSSIBLY LIKE I SAY BECAUSE OF OUR INTERNATIONAL FALLS NAME IS SO KNOWN.

WE HEARD FROM PEOPLE.

>> Kaomi: SHE'S NOW WORKING FOR THE UPSTART RAINY LAKE GAZETTE.

IT'S OWNED BY A MEDIA AND TECH FIRST OUT OF NEW JERSEY, CHERRY ROAD MEDIA.

THE GAZETTE AS 1,000 SUBSCRIBERS.

CHERED ROAD SAYS IT'S THE HEIGHTEST RATIO.

>> I AM HONEST WITH PEOPLE.

AND TELL THEM I'M THE ONLY PERSON DOING NEWS BECAUSE IN THE PAST, THEY WERE USED TO HAVING A LARGER STAFF SERVE THEIR NEEDS.

AND SO A LOT OF TIMES I HAVE PEOPLE OFFER TO WRITE THEIR OWN STORIES OR GATHER THE INFORMATION AND TAKE THE PHOTOS AND GIVE IT TO ME AND LET ME CRAFT IT INTO A STORY.

YEAH, WE COUNT ON COMMUNITY TO LET US KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON AND THERE'S A LOT HAT GOES ON IN THIS COMMUNITY.

>> Kaomi: CHERRY ROAD AYS THE MODEL IS WORKING WELL.

IT NOW OWNS 12 MINNESOTA COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS, AND ONE PRINTING PLANT.

BUT IT CONCEDED, ITS SMALL STAFFS CANNOT DO INVESTIGATIVE OR IN EPTH REPORTING.

HOW VITAL ARE NEWSPAPERS DURING AN ELECTION YEAR?

>> ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL.

>> REED IS A PAST PRESIDENT OF BOTH THE MINNESOTA AND NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATIONS.

HE SAYS 2500 NEWSPAPERS HAVE ALREADY FOLDED NATIONWIDE AND 76% OF THE REMAINING PAPERS ARE IN COMMUNITIES UNDER 5,000 PEOPLE.

>> HOW ARE PEOPLE GOING TO KNOW WHAT THE ISSUES ARE, WHO THEY'RE GOING TO VOTE FOR?

AND WHAT THEY STAND FOR.

WHAT THEIR CHARACTER IS.

WHO'S GOING TO REVEAL THE LIES AT TIMES THAT SOME OF THE CANDIDATES COME UP WITH?

>> Kaomi: HE SAYS DIGITAL NEWS SITES HAVE NOT LIVES UP TO THE HYPE.

IN FACT, HE SAYS VERY EW NEWSPAPERS MAKE ANY MONEY OFF OF ITS DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS AND ONLINE NEWS STORIES CAN BE EASILY MISSED OR LOST IN SOCIAL MEDIA FEEDS.

>> IF THE SWIFT COUNTY MONITOR NEWS COMES OUT TODAY AND THE HEADLINE SAYS THE CITY OF BENSON S GOING TO RAISE TAXES BY 25%, IN 2025, THAT HEADLINE SITS ON THE COUNTERS, IN THE GROCERY STORES, IN THE LIBRARY, IN THE CAFE, EVERYBODY CAN SEE THAT HEADLINE, READ THAT STORY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSPAPER.

>> Kaomi: AN FANSON SAYS SWIFT COUNTY, THE BIRTH PLACE OF THE DFL HAS SHIFTED 65% REPUBLICAN.

HE SAYS THE CURRENT POLITICAL CLIMATE MEANS HE HAS TO BE MUCH MORE THOUGHTFUL WHEN WRITING AN EDITORIAL.

>> PEOPLE ARE EASILY OFFENDED.

THESE DAYS THAT OFFENSE ISN'T A MATTER OF AGREEING TO DISAGREE.

IT'S NOW A MATTER OF PUNISHMENT.

I'M NOT GOING TO SUBSCRIBE TO YOUR NEWSPAPER.

I'M OT GOING TO ADVERTISE WITH YOU.

I'M GOING TO TELL MY FRIENDS NOT TO ADVERTISE WITH YOU OR SUBSCRIBE TO YOUR NEWSPAPER.

>> Kaomi: FOR THAT REASON, SOME NEWSPAPERS HAVE DISCONTINUED EDITORIALS ALTOGETHER.

HE SAYS COMMUNITIES LAST THOUGHTFUL ANALYSIS.

HE AND A GROUP OF OTHER PUBLISHES IN THE STATE ARE PLANNING TO ASK FOR HELP FROM LAWMAKERS THIS SESSION.

>> WE KNOW THAT IN COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE LOST THEIR NEWSPAPERS, THAT PEOPLE MORE OFTEN VOTE PARTY LINE RATHER THAN SPLITTING BALLOTS.

PEOPLE BECOME MORE POLARIZED.

>> Kaomi: BACK IN INTERNATIONAL FALLS, THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HELD ONE TELEVISED CANDIDATE ELECTION FORUM LAST MONTH.

STATE AND LOCAL CANDIDATES FIELDED QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC.

CHAMBER ADMINISTRATOR, SHANNON AROUND YORLD SAYS COVID AND THE RISE OF SOCIAL MEDIA MOVED THE TOWN SQUARE ONLINE.

>> HOW WE CAN BETTER THAT SITUATION.

>> SOCIAL MEDIA HAS KIND OF WRECKED SOME OF OUR SOCIAL SENSITIVITIES BECAUSE IT'S JUST WAY TOO EASY TO BE MORE BOLD AND BRAZEN AND NOT HAVE AS MUCH CONCERN FOR YOUR NEIGHBOR WHEN YOU'RE DOING IT DIGITALLY VERSUS WHEN YOU'RE JUST TALKING TO THEM HAVING CONVERSATION OVER THE FENCE.

>> Kaomi: SHE HOPES TO HOLD MORE FORUMS FACE TO FACE IN THE FUTURE.

>> IT'S LITERALLY ONE NIGHT TO GET ALL YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED.

>> MAYOR HARLEY IS RUNNING TO UNSEAT ROGER SKRABA IN HOUSE DISTRICT 3A.

IT'S ONE OF THE RACES THAT COULD FLIP CONTROL OF THE CHAMBER.

HE SAYS VOTERS ARE AVING A HARD IME FINDING OUT INFORMATION.

>> ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WAS ASKED WAS, BEYOND STATE FUNDING, HOW WOULD YOU FIX YOUR AMBULANCE SERVICE?

>> WELL, WE'VE HAD TWO NEWSPAPER ARTICLES IN THE PAST EIGHT MONTHS ABOUT THE FUNDING PROBLEMS HAT WE'RE HAVING WITH THE AMBULANCE.

PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW COMPLEX THE ISSUE IS.

>> Kaomi: THE RAINY LAKE GAZETTE INVITED CANDIDATES TO ANSWER THE SAME SET OF QUESTIONS BUT REPUBLICAN INCUMBENT SKRABA MISSED THE DEADLINE.

HE FLIPPED THE SEAT RED TWO YEARS AGO WITH JUST 15 VOTES.

NOW THE ELY BUSINESS MAN SAYS HE'S TAKE OUT AN ADD TO PROVIDE HIS ANSWERS.

HE SAYS A LOT OF FOLKS HAVE STOPPED READING THE NEWSPAPERS ALTOGETHER.

>> IF PAPERS WOULD WRITE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITY AND NOT PUT THE BIAS IN, BUT WHEN YOU WORK FOR A CORPORATION, A CORPORATION SAYS THIS IS WHAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO WRITE ABOUT IT THAT WAY.

IT'S GOING TO BE WRITTEN THIS WAY.

THE NEWS IS LOCAL, BUT THE WAY IT'S REPORTED MAY NOT BE EXACTLY.

AND I THINK SOME OF THE PEOPLE ARE JUST LIKE, WELL, THAT'S A