, Columnist
Demise of Local News May Be Ruining Congress
Politicians have less incentive to do good for their districts.
Why bother?
Photographer: Brendan Hoffman/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
For several senators up for re-election this year, a significant problem is that no one in their home states knows who they are. This is a consequence, as the Washington Post’s Paul Kane points out, of the collapse of local newspapers:
It isn't clear yet what that means for elections, although it’s not going to bother most people if incumbents have less of an advantage than they once had.