The daily newspaper USED to be a universal institution ... in the US and pretty much all the Western world. Every small town had a newspaper - maybe two (perhaps one a morning edition, one an afternoon edition - strongly competing with each other). Some were openly biased in political philosophy (you KNEW you were reading a liberal or conservative rag) while others worked HARD to be unbiased or to present both "sides." These daily papers were cheap (sometimes even free - supported entirely by advertising). And they strongly competed for readership.
Long before the Internet, newspapers were in decline. Part of this was increasing cost (as advertising became less lucrative), because of fewer choices (newspapers went belly up, newspapers got bought up by others, newspapers became just a paper version of bigger news agencies) and because they became increasingly biased (especially liberal) without fessing up to that, without admitting they were very slanted, without any attempt to be equal and fair. People could not trust what was being reported.... respect for them declined.... and people just unsubscribed.
In the suburban town I live in, there USED to be two local newspaper. Both ended back in the 90's, as I understand it. Today, daily delivered newspapers are limited to just TWO - both owned by the same ultra liberal corporation, both with very liberal slants, both even printed in the same facility. My city has no local paper.... we cannot get information about what's happening HERE since both of these rags are focused on the Big City of our areas. There are a couple of websites, however... neither very good.
Sad. Democracy depends on an informed electorate.
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