That's an interesting definition of local

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I've hated on the Express-News before for loading up on Houston/East Texas stories (which of course happens 'cause around half the paper is now written and produced in Houston), but this really takes the cake:


Apparently, the NASCAR race in Charlotte, NC counts as local news.

To be fair, on the site's main page there are actual local headlines readily visible:
Not all of them, mind, but hey at least we've managed to not give a couple of drunken killers probation.  That's good news.

This is why the newspaper industry is dying.  The only strength papers have is the ability to focus on LOCAL issues and news.  Unfortunately, by and large dailies are owned by corporations that aren't truly newspaper-oriented, and so they ignore this strength and take stupid cost-cutting measures that make it even less appealing to buy the local rag unless you're trying to house break a puppy.

For example: Earlier this week, my mother and I went to lunch at Jim's.  The paper machine still had papers, at 1PM.  I wanted a newspaper, but I couldn't actually buy a newspaper, because the last time the Express-News raised its prices (and frankly, it's not worth $1/day, but that's another bitch for another time) they redid all of their machines to only accept quarters.  I had a dollar, but only 75¢ worth of quarters.  So, no paper.  And seriously, what business with any sense makes it harder to buy their product at the same time they raise its price?  Newspapers aren't aspirational products, y'all.  Maybe it's easier to handle quarters than a mishmash of quarters, dimes, and nickels, but I'd guess at least part of that is because there are far fewer coins than could be accounted for by a mere switch in currency.

Ah well, at least they don't yet have a paywall in place.