Ozarks Notebook: Reclaiming Local News

Newspapers write the stories of small towns. For generations, their newsprint has informed locals of goings on – of major events, of their leaders' activities, but also just of daily life. They also created a sense of connection in rural communities where people may live far apart.

In relatively recent years, many Ozarks papers have been gobbled up by ownership groups. Those acquisitions proclaimed the benefits of consolidated efficiency and that the region's coverage would remain the same. Facing increased costs and drive for revenue, those promises often proved empty, resulting in smaller newsrooms and less content. There are obituaries, too – for the papers, not people...