When newspapers close, communities lose and democracy declines.

It is happening in Washington state. A new study by the League of Women Voters of Washington is blunt: “Local newspapers are in crisis.” Since 2004 over 25 weeklies and three dailies have closed, roughly 20% of the state’s newspapers.

The impact on communities – readers and nonreaders – is significant. Citizens are “experiencing an explosion of mis- and disinformation, creating significant challenges for public health officials and others. Coverage of government agencies and elected officials in Washington has drop...