This is a critically important comparison. Many people don't know the gigantic difference that has always existed in the USA and in many places. These are two entirely different entities.
The USA once had the world's strongest local media tradition. There were once two or even three DAILY newspapers in smallish towns. This, combined with the local banking tradition made the USA's small towns the most resilient in the world during the biggest changes in human history 1860-1940. The benefits were obvious as the rest of the world would have ended human history without us.
Today, with Cable News and horrible Web based news, the gap between local and national has become the proverbial chasm between Abraham and the rich man. And sadly, local journalism has been under assault by corporates cost cutters who milked newspaper in the 90s that made PROFITS IN THE 40 Percent range. Local newspapers were the most profitable sector in American business until corps mismanaged them into losses.
There was a time when great national newspaper, like Adoph Ochs' New York Times, modeled themselves on local news. The NYT was a national newspaper of record as was the W post. This meant that they covered everything from federal oversight to building the Brooklyn Bridge to the politics of the New York Sewer Boards. Small towns papers were mostly papers of record for their communities and kept fabulous records called "morgues" that documented small, medium, and big town happenings in fabulous detail.
Local news is still MUCH more accountable to its readers than national news. I went from a local to a national newspaper just once in my life and I was amazed at the disconnect. The reality gap gets the bigger the media outlet. Then there is the biggest gap, between the elite Beltway Ivy League, Name Brand journalists and the rest of the industry, big and small. Those people ae beyond out of touch. They do a great job connecting with other global elites in their coverage and slumming with average jills and joes.
Name Brand Journalists are a curse of the modern age. The same names have been at the top of journalism for 40 years No news ideas, no innovators get to enter. Our brains are branded and cant stand talent or truth.
But local newspapers and sometimes radio is still better connected to their community.