WAOW anchor Melissa Langbehn said goodbye to viewers after losing her job in the most recent Allen Media layoffs.

Her departure from WAOW and the layoffs at Allen Media properties in Eau Clair, La Crosse and Madison are more than a simple business decision implemented to increase profits, put a band-aid on a shrinking bottom line or invent some exciting new direction in local news, it signals the loss of access to information for many local residents.

As The Wausau Pilot said in an editorial, when local journalists go away, “Important stories go untold, and politicians can push boundaries with no one watching. What people don’t know can end up hurting them, leaving their city poorer both culturally and politically.”

The Wausau, Wisconsin ABC affiliate said Langbehn “was more than just a reporter and an anchor. She was active in the community, taking part in a number of organizations and emceeing different events each year.”

Langbehn started working at the station in 1991.

“Why not make your hometown a better place to live? It’s an important thing to do if you’re going to be part of a community, you have to do your part as well. And that’s something I hope to do as I am now retired. I’m going to try to find some ways to volunteer,” she said.

She told the station she didn’t know where she was heading next.

“To be honest with you, I don’t know. I think I’m just going to take some time off. Because as we were mentioning before, this career can be a really jealous mistress. I owe it to my family and my friends to give more of myself to them, to spend more time with them,” Melissa said.

The Wausau Pilot said it has heard from dozens of residents who are “alarmed” by the changes at WAOW. The Pilot said those changes have “dramatically reduced local news coverage” and the concern is justified.

“What people don’t know can end up hurting them, leaving their city poorer both culturally and politically,” wrote the paper.

The loss of longtime news anchor Melissa Langbehn, who has been a trusted journalist and community leader for more than three decades, is especially disappointing. Losing Erik Mrotek and other reporters who have made Wausau their home for years and understand its complexities and challenges better than anyone in Madison ever could is deeply disturbing as well. The way local news is shrinking in communities throughout the country has a devastating and dramatic effect on every single one of us, and there is plenty of research to back that up.

The loss of local news is quietly chipping away at the foundation of our democracy. Without it, communities are becoming more polarized, voter turnout is dropping, and government accountability is slipping. Local news plays a crucial role in keeping democracy healthy—it helps people understand what’s at stake in local elections, inspires them to vote, reach out to officials, or even run for office. It also bridges political divides and keeps public officials in check, making it a vital part of any community.