By DAVID BAUDER
AP Media Writer

NEW YORK (AP) - North Carolina journalism professor Penelope Muse Abernathy has a grim job, compiling statistics that chronicle the decline of local news across the country. That picture isn't getting any brighter in her latest report, out this week. But she can take some solace in the fact that people - politicians, community activists and regular citizens - are noticing the consequences of closed local newspapers and laid-off journalists. The closure of newspapers has accelerated this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Abernathy says an influx of public money will likely be necessary to ensure Americans stay informed about what's going on in their communities.

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