Blogger Robert Feder is one of the Chicago Tribune’s harshest critics, but he also knows what he is talking about.

In this item he doesn’t mince words as to his impression of Journatic, the new local news service Tribune bought in place of its own staff-produced material in TribLocal.

Here’s an excerpt:

I used to look forward to receiving TribLocal, the weekly hyperlocal news insert in my Chicago Tribune. But now it’s become a worthless piece of garbage.

I mention this mainly because The Courant, which once featured seven zoned editions of staff-produced local news, appears to be on a similar trajectory of retreating from such coverage.