“The past two decades have seen a marked shift in local television news across the country, away from in-depth coverage and toward speed and spectacle. Broadcast news, envisioned in the early years of television as a means of enriching civic life, has – according to politicians, media watchdog groups, and many TV journalists themselves – degenerated into lowest-common-denominator entertainment. But a study published earlier this year – the most exhaustive ever conducted of local television news – suggests that the industry has severely underestimated its audience.”