Last year, when the Pew Research Center asked Americans where they got information about the election, local newspapers were at the bottom of the list. (Cable news and social media ranked highest.) With ad revenues declining and circulation plummeting, many small papers now lack the resources to aggressively cover city and state government, much less to help readers understand how national politics affects their communities. What’s more, since the inauguration, mayhem at the White House has all but drowned out other stories, the daily revelations requiring constant vigilance. Such conditions can inspire helplessness — a fire burns in Washington, and all…