> I think one thing that skews the debate though is the constant
> emphasis in these debates on local papers and local news. Most local
> coverage stinks, and maybe I'm wrong, but sometimes I think
> I can imagine a future where the internet provided better local
> coverage on an amateur basis.
I think this is just because you live in NYC :-)
Local investigative journalism is absolutely essential to fighting official corruption; that's as true in Tulsa as it is in Seattle.
For some good examples, I recommend this All Things Considered piece:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101888044
/jordan