This unique text addresses the gap between journalism studies, which have tended to focus on national and international news, and the fact that most journalism is practised at the local level, where people live, work, play and feel most 'at home'. Providing a rich overview of the role and place of local media in society, Hess and Waller demonstrate that, in this changing digital era, the local journalist must not only specialize in niche 'place-based' news, but also have a clear understanding of how their locality and its people 'fit' in the context of a globalized world.

Equipping readers with a nuanced and well-rounded understanding of the field today, this is an essential resource for students of journalism, media and communication studies, as well as for practising and aspiring journalists.

Kristy Hess is a Senior Lecturer in Communication at Deakin University, Australia. She researches local media and its relationship to elites and everyday people, is an editorial board member of Digital Journalism, and her work has been published in leading journalism, media and communication journals. She has also worked as a journalist and is the academic director of Australia's largest university-industry training program for practicing post-cadet journalists across the nation.
Lisa Waller is a Senior Lecturer in Communication at Deakin University, Australia. Her research focuses on how news shapes society, from Indigenous Affairs policy, to its roles in regional and rural identity formation and the administration of justice, and she has published widely within media and communication. She has also worked as a journalist on newspapers including The Australian and The Australian Financial Review.