The local-mobile paradox: Missed innovation opportunities at local newspapers

We employ a mixed-methods approach to examine the state of mobile web publishing among U.S. local newspapers. Analysis of the mobile version of news websites (N = 100) across the 50 states yields an uneven picture, with innovation lagging in key areas. A survey with local owner-operators (N = 77) in a large U.S. state suggests that devoting attention to mobile audiences may be associated with revenue opportunities, and the ability to innovate is not necessarily associated with firm size. We explore implications for the viability of local news.