Geographic Consistency in Journalism: Exploring Temporal Metrics for Sustained Community Representation

For newsrooms to build trust with a local community, their coverage must be consistent, but to what extent is not always clear. A lack of shared understanding and policy on the appropriate consistency of publishing news for specific communities creates the risk of making editorial decisions that inadvertently misalign with coverage needs or expectations. This study analyzes 30 months of news articles from three San Francisco Bay Area newsrooms using a model for defining and measuring consistency. The model identified spatial and temporal fluctuations in local coverage over time, signaling periods of change in geographic representation. Overall, this study demonstrates how improved clarification of consistency can be a resource for editorial guidance and accountability for stabilizing the trust of the communities served.