What kind of stories are best at turning local news readers into subscribers? It’s hard news, not the soft stuff (opens in new tab)

Let’s start with the good news. What types of news stories are most likely to make a reader subscribe on a local newspaper’s website? Is it celebrity news, horoscopes, sports scores, the gardening column? Nope — it’s hard news. Local government, public health, politics — the sort of stuff that makes for a healthy democracy....