A recent book, "Ghosting the News," by Margaret Sullivan, argues that local newspapers have been a pillar of American democracy since colonial times. While trust in major national institutions has plummeted, trust in local print media remains high. We still count on our hometown paper to give us the facts and to hold influential people accountable for their words and actions. When a paper ceases operation, it leaves its community vulnerable to being uninformed, misinformed, or disinformed.