It's easy to assume the news that matters most happens at the national level. In practice, the decisions that shape daily life — school budgets, local infrastructure, zoning changes — are made much closer to home.
Local newsrooms have shrunk dramatically over the past two decades, leaving many communities with far less scrutiny of local government than they once had.
Readers can help by supporting local outlets directly, whether through subscriptions or simply sharing local reporting as often as national headlines.
The views expressed in this piece are the author's own.