The Digital Transition of Local Newspapers: New Communication Strategies for Audience Retention

Most studies on the changes that media are undergoing in the digital age have focused on large markets. However, local journalism has received relatively little attention in these studies, despite the fact that the sector is undergoing fundamental changes. This article explores new tools for keeping audience attention in digital journalism. Based on 50 expert interviews with media executives in Russia and Belarus, the main directions of transformation of local media communication strategies in the digital society are identified. It is concluded that increased competition for audience attention in some cases leads to the tabloidization of formats and styles of news presentation. Among the features of local journalism focused on digital society and technology, the growing role of the audience, the dominance of visual content, and the diversification of distribution channels are highlighted. The study identifies and characterizes the main tools to increase audience engagement, and proposes criteria for effective distribution of media texts. It is concluded that the need to build and maintain relationships with the audience is the most important factor in the development of digital journalism.