I_PNP subscribe_VVB online_AJ0 to_PRP The_AT0 Washington_NP0 Post_NN1 ,_PUN and_CJC this_DT0 week_NN1 the_AT0 newspaper_NN1 sent_VVD me_PNP a_AT0 birthday_NN1 gift_NN1 :_PUN a_AT0 PDF_NP0 of_PRF the_AT0 Post_NN1 's_POS front_AJ0 page_NN1 from_PRP the_AT0 day_NN1 I_PNP was_VBD born_VVN ._SENT Dwight_NP0 Eisenhower_NP0 was_VBD president-elect_NP0 ,_PUN and_CJC the_AT0 lead_NN1 story_NN1 was_VBD about_AV0 whether_CJS Ike_NP0 would_VM0 accept_VVI an_AT0 overture_NN1 for_PRP a_AT0 meeting_NN1 from_PRP the_AT0 Soviet_AJ0 prime_AJ0 minister_NN1 ,_PUN Joseph_NP0 Stalin_NP0 ._SENT Dinosaurs_NN2 roamed_VVD the_AT0 earth_NN1 ._SENT Just_AV0 as_CJS antiquated_AJ0 was_VBD the_AT0 front_AJ0 page_NN1 itself_PNX :_PUN a_AT0 mess_NN1 of_PRF dense_AJ0 ,_PUN tiny_AJ0 print_NN1 with_PRP just_AV0 a_AT0 single_AJ0 photograph_NN1 ,_PUN and_CJC random_AJ0 content_NN1 of_PRF questionable_AJ0 news_NN1 judgment_NN1 ._SENT There_EX0 was_VBD an_AT0 essay_NN1 written_VVN by_PRP a_AT0 local_AJ0 priest_NN1 comparing_VVG Bible_NN1 verses_NN2 ,_PUN and_CJC an_AT0 article_NN1 about_PRP a_AT0 kitchen_NN1 grease_NN1 fire_NN1 briefly_AV0 interrupting_VVG diners_NN2 at_PRP the_AT0 Colonial_AJ0 Hotel_NN1 ._SENT On_PRP the_AT0 front_AJ0 page_NN1 ._SENT The_AT0 improvements_NN2 to_PRP American_AJ0 newspapers_NN2 over_PRP my_DPS lifetime_NN1 have_VHB been_VBN vast_AJ0 :_PUN They_PNP are_VBB brighter_AJC ;_PUN their_DPS coverage_NN1 is_VBZ broader_AJC ;_PUN and_CJC they_PNP are_VBB far_AV0 more_AV0 diverse_AJ0 ,_PUN ambitious_AJ0 ,_PUN and_CJC responsive_AJ0 to_PRP their_DPS readers_NN2 ._SENT The_AT0 quality_NN1 of_PRF the_AT0 writing_NN1 alone_AV0 is_VBZ a_AT0 major_AJ0 upgrade_NN1 ._SENT Of_PRF course_NN1 ,_PUN this_DT0 has_VHZ n't_XX0 slowed_VVN their_DPS decline_NN1 ._SENT Since_PRP 2004_CRD ,_PUN the_AT0 United_NP0 States_NP0 has_VHZ lost_VVN more_AV0 than_CJS 2_CRD ,_PUN 100_CRD daily_AJ0 and_CJC weekly_AJ0 newspapers_NN2 —_PUN 25_CRD percent_NN0 since_PRP the_AT0 turn_NN1 of_PRF the_AT0 millennium_NN1 ._SENT Including_PRP the_AT0 devastating_AJ0 COVID-19_AJ0 pandemic_AJ0 year_NN1 of_PRF 2020_CRD ,_PUN more_AV0 than_CJS 50_CRD ,_PUN 000_CRD journalists_NN2 have_VHB lost_VVN their_DPS jobs_NN2 ._SENT Cynics_NN2 may_VM0 cheer_VVI over_PRP that_DT0 ,_PUN but_CJC consider_VVB that_CJT communities_NN2 without_PRP a_AT0 strong_AJ0 local_AJ0 newspaper_NN1 tend_VVB to_TO0 have_VHI lower_AJC voter_NN1 turnout_NN1 ,_PUN more_DT0 government_NN1 corruption_NN1 ,_PUN less_DT0 transparency_NN1 ,_PUN and_CJC a_AT0 fraying_NN1 of_PRF civic_AJ0 connections_NN2 ._SENT Community_NN1 journalists_NN2 are_VBB the_AT0 front_AJ0 lines_NN2 of_PRF democracy_NN1 ._SENT They_PNP dig_VVB through_PRP municipal_AJ0 records_NN2 ,_PUN attend_VVB board_NN1 meetings_NN2 ,_PUN keep_VVB tabs_NN2 on_PRP local_AJ0 institutions_NN2 ,_PUN expose_VVB bad_AJ0 actors_NN2 and_CJC practices_NN2 ._SENT They_PNP usually_AV0 live_VVB in_PRP the_AT0 communities_NN2 they_PNP cover_VVB and_CJC care_VVB about_PRP keeping_VVG them_PNP healthy_AJ0 ._SENT No_ITJ wonder_VVB local_AJ0 news_NN1 outlets_NN2 are_VBB still_AV0 more_AV0 trusted_VVN than_CJS other_AJ0 media_NN0 ._SENT But_CJC almost_AV0 10_CRD percent_NN0 of_PRF US_NP0 counties_NN2 today_AV0 —_PUN about_PRP 1_CRD ,_PUN 800_CRD communities_NN2 —_PUN are_VBB news_NN1 deserts_NN2 ,_PUN without_PRP a_AT0 local_AJ0 paper_NN1 at_PRP all_DT0 ;_PUN many_DT0 more_DT0 are_VBB served_VVN by_PRP "_PUQ ghost_NN1 papers_NN2 ,_PUN "_PUQ a_AT0 term_NN1 coined_VVN by_PRP professor_NN1 Penny_NP0 Abernathy_NP0 of_PRF the_AT0 University_NN1 of_PRF North_NP0 Carolina_NP0 to_TO0 describe_VVI publications_NN2 with_PRP skeleton_NN1 crews_NN2 ,_PUN or_CJC that_DT0 publish_VVB only_AJ0 wire_NN1 service_NN1 reports_NN2 ._SENT Predatory_AJ0 hedge_NN1 funds_NN2 are_VBB buying_VVG up_AVP legacy_NN1 newspapers_NN2 like_PRP the_AT0 Chicago_NP0 Tribune_NN1 and_CJC strip-mining_NN1 them_PNP for_PRP profit_NN1 ._SENT Smaller_AJC ,_PUN regional_AJ0 publications_NN2 are_VBB especially_AV0 vulnerable_AJ0 ._SENT What_DTQ fills_VVZ the_AT0 vacuum_NN1 are_VBB Twitter_NN1 trolls_NN2 ,_PUN rumor_NN1 mills_NN2 ,_PUN conspiracy_NN1 theories_NN2 ,_PUN propaganda_NN1 ,_PUN disinformation_NN1 campaigns_NN2 ,_PUN and_CJC press_NN1 releases_NN2 ._SENT Now_AV0 an_AT0 unlikely_AJ0 source_NN1 has_VHZ offered_VVN a_AT0 helping_AJ0 hand_NN1 :_PUN Congress_NN1 ._SENT 
