I wonder if there's a business model there -- in joining up with a larger paper and producing a regional section. Way back when, town newspapers would receive preprinted interiors, showing national news from AP or similar, and print their own local news on the front and back. I'd rather have two reporters local to my town putting stories in the online edition of the major city paper, than to completely lose the local news when the paper shuts down, as seems inevitable in a year or two.

Suppose the articles from investigative reporters were rated by readers. The most valued articles would receive the most views and votes so a newspaper (i.e. local or regional news aggregator) would see articles that are in demand. Reporter pay rates could be tied to ratings, encouraging articles that people like.

God, no. Any investigative report involving a political figure would receive a 2.5/5 star rating as the right and left wing trolls on the comments section battle it out.

View and rating based journalism is what's turned CNN et. al. into the "look at our hologram! water could cause cancer in your children!" channels.