Obituaries, high school sports, school board meetings, the new economic development plan, the amateur theater production, a couple’s 50th wedding anniversary — these types of stories teach neighbors about each other, provide basic information on community problems and create a sense of shared interest.
In fact, the decline of local reporting has helped fuel polarization, misinformation and the growing tendency for Americans to demonize each other. If we have any hope of addressing those democracy-crushing problems, we have to dramatically strengthen local news.