With the internet you can get informed about breaking news with incredible speed, with articles being written online immediately as stories unfold.  The recent plane crash in the Hudson river, had news articles appearing online almost immediately after the event happened.  Of course these news articles, though written fast, contained little more information then, plane has crashed in the Hudson River.

Will the Speed of News on the Internet Make Newspapers Obsolete?
Though the internet provides news faster than any local newspaper could dream of, local newspapers provide something not always readily available online.  That being, local news is still something standard newspapers provide, though many have already gone digital.  Or if you live in any major city, you probably will have no trouble getting your local news online.

News.Yahoo.Com has a local news feature for getting the news in your area from local sources which is usually good at covering any significant local news.