Should the Federal Government Support the Local Press?

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press... I would argue that our founders knew that a free press was essential to monitoring local government.

It's a TOTALLY off the wall suggestion but clearly the local press is dead and maybe it's time we as a nation determine it's in our best interest to support it?

In depth local reporting is basically gone and the internet isn't stepping up to fill this void. I could list a dozen things that have happened that twenty years ago wouldn't have happened if the local press still existed. For example the water problem in Flint Michigan.

One thing we could do to make America great is find a funding mechanism to help support local papers. Seems nuts but it might actually be cost effective. Could local papers be independent if they received federal funds? In the long run would it be cost effective? We spend millions and millions of dollars helping spread democracy in the third and second world, wouldn't it make sense to redirect some of those funds to make America Great?