Local media, rural depopulation, and territorial attachment: geographies of hope in Castilla-La Mancha

This article explores the relationship between local media ecosystems and territorial hope in depopulated 9 rural areas of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain). Drawing on geographies of hope as a travelling concept, we examine 10 how local media shape affective orientations toward the future. Within the framework of rural mediatization, 11 we conceptualize media ensembles as key drivers in the symbolic construction of place, and as potential 12 enablers of hope in territories historically marked by demographic decline. Approaching news deserts from 13 the perspective of communicative resilience, we combine a media mapping of 721 depopulated municipalities 14 with a face-to-face survey of 529 residents to analyze the role of local media in sustaining collective affective 15 configurations. We construct an Index of Territorial Hope based on three interrelated indicators: personal 16 optimism, sense of belonging, and outward projection of the locality. Statistical analyses show that 17 municipalities with more local media score significantly higher on this index and a regression model confirms 18 that media-related variables—especially interest in local news and trust in professional media—are stronger 19 predictors of territorial hope than most sociodemographic factors. Our findings suggest that local media 20 contribute to the emergence of territorial hope. This underscores the importance of integrating 21 communication indicators into the study of geographies of hope and highlights their relevance to strengthen 22 the symbolic agency of rural communities.