The other part is, I think, that most journalists don't go into the business so they can spend the rest of their lives covering city council hearings and other "unimportant" stuff. The local beat is a stepping stone to the sexier national beat, and the decline of opportunities in national journalism is rightly seen as a bit of a career downer.
But what's missing is quality local journalism. That's what smaller papers should be focused on, and they should be trying to do it in a way which makes them not just relevant but indispensable for people.
