Kansas news deserts leave increasingly fewer reporters to cover the COVID-19 outbreak
During a pandemic, local news coverage means more than keeping tabs on the city council or high school sports. The stories published in a newspaper, broadcast on a network TV affiliate or aired on the radio bring critical information about the public health crisis to communities. People count on reporters in their town or region to let them know about the latest spread of disease, about what’s safe and what’s not — especially in small meatpacking towns that have become coronavirus hot spots. “They’re doing the best they can,” said Angela Labrier, who turns to the Fox News Channel and The [...]