America’s rich people could have saved local journalism — and perhaps democracy. They refused.

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It didn’t have to turn out this way.

Local investors — especially in a prosperous town like Chicago — could have stepped forward to block a hedge fund from gaining control of several of the nation’s top daily newspapers.

But, despite the admirable efforts of Maryland hotel magnate Stewart Bainum Jr. and a few others, the shareholders of Tribune Publishing Co. voted Friday to accept a $633 million offer from Alden Global Capital. Continue reading.