Joshua P. Darr
Joshua P. Darr
Associate Professor · Newhouse School · Syracuse University

Studying local news
and what it does
for communities.

I am a political communication scholar in the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, where I am also Senior Researcher in the Institute for Democracy, Journalism & Citizenship. My research examines how local journalism shapes political behavior, civic life, and democratic participation — using survey experiments, field experiments, and large-scale observational data.

I also direct the Local NExT Lab, which partners with newsrooms to test journalism innovations and translate findings into practice.

Explore the Lab About Me CV
Director, Local NExT Lab
Senior Researcher, IDJC
2022 Andrew Carnegie Fellow
Associate Professor, Newhouse School
Recent Work
Knight First Amendment Institute · January 2026

Participatory Journalism and Its Potential in AI-Assisted Local News

AI in local journalism should begin with community culture and needs. Drawing on City Bureau's Documenters program, this essay argues for pairing AI tools with participatory journalism practices.

Read at Knight Columbia
American Journal of Political Science · 2025

Can Americans' trust in local news be trusted?

Unfamiliar news outlets are trusted more when they have a local cue in their name — a heuristic that leads the public to trust unreliable sources that signal a local focus over high-quality sources that do not.

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Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly · 2025

How the Engagement Journalism Movement is Changing Political News Content

Analyzing a large dataset of political stories from journalism training programs, we find significant shifts between 2018 and 2022: fewer horse-race stories, more engaged and transparent content, and a boost in solutions-oriented coverage.

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Local NExT Lab
Research Lab

The Local News Experimental Testing Lab

The Local NExT Lab runs controlled experiments with newsroom partners to test journalism innovations — and builds the translation layer to move findings into practice. Cohort 1 is underway with partners across the South and Midwest.

5+
Active newsroom partners
100+
Research abstracts in the hub
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Research Areas
01

Local News & Democracy

How local media shapes political knowledge, participation, and polarization — through studies of closures and news deserts.

Newspaper closures increase partisan polarization.
02

Campaign Strategy

Field office placement, advertising strategies, and how campaigns target voters in different information environments.

Campaign offices near local papers earn more coverage, especially at smaller papers.
03

News Innovation & Engagement

Testing what newsroom innovations actually work through controlled experiments with local news partners.

Audiences trust local outlets more than national outlets.
04

Media Effects & Polarization

How media consumption shapes political attitudes, partisan news effects, and TV coverage patterns.

TV news overrepresents ideologically extreme Congress members, making politics seem more polarized.
Full Publication List
Contact

Consulting & Partnerships

I consult with news organizations, foundations, and policymakers on local journalism research and strategy. The Local NExT Lab partners with newsrooms to design and run experiments. I'm always open to conversations about collaboration.

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