Politics, football, murders rank among year's biggest hits online - Youngstown Vindicator

Published: Sat, December 31, 2016 @ 9:55 p.m.

YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown – for better or worse – became a convenient symbol for the national media in 2016.

The city became a catch-all for portraying the “forgotten America” that elected Donald Trump: Across the nation, images of abandoned steel mills and pudgy, blue-collar workers accompanied print and television reports telling the tired-but-true tale of a marginalized population saying “enough is enough.”

Away from the national narrative, plenty of local news – ranging from unusual political developments and high praise for high schools to murder and terrorism – added depth and complexity to the evolving story of Youngstown, and Vindicator readers took notice.

Read Sunday's Vindicator and Vindy.com to see the top online stories of 2016.