The traditional business model for local journalism is under significant pressure, while global social media platforms and AI-generated content are reaching ever deeper into our lives. The Glen Innes Examiner newspaper was launched in 1874 and ceased printing in 2024. A professional local journalist can attend meetings, ask difficult questions, examine documents, test claims and explain why decisions have been made. It should also prompt a broader conversation about what we expect local journalism to deliver and what is required to sustain it. Cr Margot Davis is the mayor of Glen Innes Severn Council in the New England region of NSW.