01587nam a22001697a 4500999001900000008004100019100005000060245012200110260001900232300003400251520090800285650007401193773001801267906001601285942000701301952010901308  c516017d516017210212b           ||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d  aRubado, Meghan E. and Jennings, Jay T.924248  aPolitical consequences of the endangered local watchdog: Newspaper decline and mayoral elections in the United States  aUrban Affairs   a56(5), Sep, 2020: p.1327-1356  aNewspapers have faced extreme challenges in recent years due to declining circulation and advertising revenue. This has resulted in newspaper closures, staff cuts, and dramatic changes to the ways many newspapers cover local government, among other topics. This article argues that the loss of professional expertise in coverage of local government has negative consequences for the quality of city politics because citizens become less informed about local policies and elections. We test our theory using an original data set that matches 11 local newspapers in California to the municipalities they cover. The data show that cities served by newspapers with relatively sharp declines in newsroom staffing had, on average, significantly reduced political competition in mayoral races. We also find suggestive evidence that lower staffing levels are associated with lower voter turnout. – Reproduced   aUrban politics, Media effects, Competition, Turnout, Elections922305  aUrban Affairs  aPRINT MEDIA  cAR  00102ddc40709390127aIIPAbIIPAd2021-02-12h56(5), Sep, 2020: p.1327-1356pAR124307r2021-02-12yAR