Local news is more than a business

During my 32 years with the Chicago Police Department, I learned that information can save lives.

Whether responding to severe weather, searching for a missing child or managing a public safety emergency, local television stations were essential partners in keeping the public informed. Long before social media, local broadcasters served as the trusted connection between first responders and the communities we served. Even today, millions of Americans continue to rely on local news for timely, accurate information.

But local news media do much more than cover emergencies. They report on school board and city council meetings, highlight neighborhood organizations, connect residents to public services, and hold local leaders accountable. They are a vital part of the civic infrastructure that keeps our communities informed, connected, and safe.

Today, however, local journalism faces unprecedented challenges. Global technology and streaming companies such as Google, Meta, Amazon and Netflix command enormous audiences and advertising revenue, yet they don't cover neighborhood issues, local elections or community events. They have transformed the media landscape without replacing the public-service journalism that local agencies have provided for generations.

If we want strong local journalism tomorrow, broadcasters must have the ability to compete today.

That is why I support the proposed combination of Nexstar and TEGNA. Greater scale will help local broadcasters invest in newsrooms, modernize technology, strengthen emergency communications and continue delivering the trusted local reporting our communities rely on every day.

For Chicagoans, this is about more than a business transaction. It is about ensuring that when emergencies unfold, local governments make important decisions, or neighborhoods have stories that deserve to be told, there are strong local journalists there to cover them.

Preserving local journalism means preserving public safety, accountability, and informed communities. That should be a priority for all of us.

John Garrido

Chicago