Seriously? Match reports, player interviews, transfer rumours, court reporting, match previews, injury news, fan stories, managerial press conferences. All the stuff that connects a football club with its local community and engages fans who might otherwise know no better.
And yes, sometimes that involves rehashing some other people's reporting too - not quite the crime that some people paint it as...sometimes it's just part of the job.
Like with the Chaplin story - ok sure, they were second to it (as I said, my mistake). But nevertheless they broke the news to me and plenty of other City fans. They did their job, and I'm grateful for it.
Who else does it if not them? No one knows for sure what the alternative looks like, but I don't see any big media companies who'd be desperate to fill the void. And I don't expect Kev Monks or the Nii Lamptey Show boys to start showing up at the High Court to cover the next SISU hearing in their absence. If I'm having to explain the basic functions of a local newspaper to you then I'm guessing you don't really care much about what they do. Fair enough. But maybe you should?