Founder of The Star News Network says local reporting is just is important as national reporting

Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Star News Network, Michael Leahy, says that local reporting is very important in terms of informing the public on crucial issues in their own communities and states.

"I became a reporter for Breitbart News, and I began to notice that the conservative press did a good job covering national news," Leahy said on the John Solomon Reports podcast. "But local news and state news was not covered particularly well, by anyone."

This observation eventually led to Leahy creating The Tennessee Star, which is an outlet that covers local news in Tennessee such as the state legislature and schools. This led to the creation of other local news outlets such as The Michigan Star and The Ohio Star to cover local news in other states. 

Leahy went on to tell a story about how local reporting at The Tennessee Star played an important role in his home state during an election. 

"One example is what's happened here in the 5th congressional district race," Leahy said. "There was a new district created after redistricting and basically, it took a district that was heavily Democratic and redrew it. And it then became a likely Republican seat. It was a very controversial race."

Leahy said that The Tennessee Star reported on the rules of the election and of the Republican Party and how it resulted in a lawsuit.

"We had a couple of folks who moved to Tennessee, desiring to run for the seat," Leahy continued. "We call them carpetbaggers here. We led the reporting on it. Our accurate reporting covered the rules of the Republican Party and how they determine whether or not somebody would be allowed on the ballot." 

"Our reporting led the way and ultimately, there was a lawsuit from one of the candidates who wanted to be on the ballot who didn't meet the standards," Leahy stated. "And the Supreme Court here in Tennessee ruled that the standards of the Republican Party determined who was a bona fide candidate, as we had reported. They concluded that those standards were set by the Republican Party."

According to Leahy, Star News Network is expanding and Leahy will be co-hosting a show in Arizona. Plus, they plan to have the Star brand move to all 50 states in the future. One thing that is important to Leahy is local advertisers being able to have a chance to advertise instead of just big corporations.

"We think at the Star News Network, local advertisers should get bang for their buck," Leahy concluded. "And so if you're a local advertiser, really anywhere in the United States, just reach out to us at the StarNewnetwork.com. "If we're not in your state today, we'll be there soon."