Local news outlets are among the most vulnerable in the digital marketplace. A recent survey taken of 2,361 local news publishers across the country showed that one in 10 outlets don't have a website and many aren't present on Facebook. One of the most interesting findings from the study, called "Digital Adaptation in Local News" by the Tow Center for Digital Journalism, is how much control Google has over the digital fates of many of those newsrooms that have adapted to online audiences. Even more striking: Nearly half of all the local news sites offering video, stream it through YouTube, opened by Google. That's a lot of power over local news for one tech company. This is no different from the tangle local news is in due to its reliance on Google. A few small tweaks to platforms publishers rely on for stability and a community loses its local news source. Read more