I appreciate those experts whose work I have drawn on or who generously provided information and guidance: Penny Muse Abernathy, Joshua Benton, Ken Doctor, Rasmus Kleis Nielsen, Tom Rosenstiel, Heidi Legg, Anna Masera, and others. Many thanks to my early readers to whom I turned with apprehension: Sophie Kleeman, Brian Connolly, Matt Wolfson, and Richard Tofel. I am grateful to my editors at the Washington Post, who supported this effort and allowed me the time to get it done, particularly Marty Baron, Tracy Grant, Liz Seymour, and David Malitz; and to the small but powerhouse team at Columbia Global Reports: Nicholas Lemann, Camille McDuffie, and Jimmy So. Finally, I want to honor my former colleagues at the Buffalo News, some of whom are still working there amid all the difficulties of this moment. Their talent, heart, and dedication inspire me, as does the work of local journalists all over the world.