Special “Info Districts” as an Anti-dote to Media Desertification

A new report is proposing the formation of special “information districts” akin to those that already fund a host of public services ranging from libraries to voc-tech education and fire protection to waste management. 

Why add another?  —Simon Galperin, Director of The Community Information Cooperative offers three reasons in How to Launch an Info District:

• “As a result of economic and technological shifts, more communities are becoming media deserts.
• Media desertification poses a systemic risk to the health of local democracies and economies.
• Despite a few positive trends, market-based approaches cannot solve this crisis.”

As defined by Galperin, info districts “support local news and information projects to facilitate civic engagement” and are “established by local governments to provide a particular service to geographic area and are funded by a tax.”

Given the long track record of special districts and the current state of the information landscape, don’t be surprised if you’re soon asked to get involved in creating an info district where you live.