A number of comments here are along the lines of "I'm more informed today than I was before the web, no problem here."

You're probably more informed on the whole, but there are fewer and fewer eyes watching our elected officials and shining lights into dark places.

A strong and free press is critical in maintaining a healthy democracy. Support your local papers or hyperlocal bloggers if you see them doing good work - you and your community will benefit in the long term.