The local newspaper is dying. Across the country, newsrooms are either shuttering completely or struggling through massive staff layoffs. It's becoming increasingly clear that in the void left by trusted local reporting, misinformation is taking root. A sweeping investigation by the New York Times uncovered a conservative pay-for-play network that disguises itself as unbiased local coverage. The enterprise includes 1300 sites spanning all 50 states, and with familiar web layouts and innocuous titles like Wichita Standard or Illinois Valley Times, you may have come across one and been none the wiser. New York Times reporter Davey Alba is one of the journalists who broke the story and joins to explain what tipped her off, who is behind it all, and the role social media plays in this moment. RELATED READING: As Local News Dies, a Pay-for-Play Network Rises in Its Place by Davey Alba and Jack Nicas Here Are the Hundreds of Sites in a Pay-to-Play Local News Network Find more of Davey Alba’s work here Dozens of new websites appear to be Michigan local news outlets, but with political bent by Carol Thompson