They also covered thoughtful proposals and felt some civic obligation to let the voters know what their choices would be. This isn't their town and, at the corporate level at least, they could care less who runs it. Local radio stations once had news departments, and ripped and read the wire services. Now you get a periodic cut to network news, which involves turning the same dial you could change yourself. If a daily newspaper didn't cover it in this town, a local radio station generally won't either.
National pundits distributed via satellite are cheaper.
Local television news operations have also degenerated. Local TV stations, KUAT excepted, no longer have any real news. TV news barely covers all the murders now, even when all they do is quote the police public relations officers. Tucson is an older city with different demographics, but they don't count in a national buy. Your news coverage is designed around what somebody thinks a New York ad agency believes certain people should be watching.