I don't mean to put myself or other local talent down, I'm trying to qualify the level of reporting non-locals are capable of. I agree that we also feature some very great stories from local voices. Should that discount the great stories from non-locals?

You seem to correlate how capable one is at reporting local issues with how embedded they are with the community and culture. I can see how local-ness is valuable in approaching an issue, but I don't think it dictates the outcome of reporting an issue.

The situation may feel like outsiders stepping in, giving their 2 cents, telling us everything that's wrong with our culture, and in that way, it may feel like a form of gentrification. It's not though, it's reporting, and we need people who have proven to be skillful at fact-checking and writing to do it, be they local or non-local. Are there issues you think only locals are capable of tackling? To what extent does understanding the depths of our culture affect the outcome of a story?