On Monday, word came that Tronc, the Chicago-based corporation that bought The News last year, had slashed its newsroom in half, laying off dozens of the best local journalists and ripping the heart and soul out of the 99-year-old tabloid, one of New York City’s greatest assets and fiercest defenders.

The loss for the city will be terrible. The News skewered local politicians, lobbyists and entrenched interests, from wayward mayors to Donald Trump. Unscrupulous developers and corrupt politicians can breathe a sigh of relief. Poor people, working people, racial minorities will lose a powerful, effective voice. The city will be less alive and less democratic, its politicians less accountable to the people they serve.