There's oodles of news channels both domestic and international on Roku. You may have to do a little searching, but the live international news channels are the only way to get news about what's happening in the US! Most of the international news channels deliver news only, not sensationalist talk shows! BBC (not BBC America), Eurovision, NHK, Fance 24, Russia Today, Al Jazeera and others are available on Roku in English 24/7. Fox News is available on Roku from 9am to 3 pm every day. CNN is also available in video update format. CNN International is also on a private stream. NBC News has a channel with all their news programs and along with every story from the nightly news, they have some stories that didn't make the 22 minute cut!
Several local TV stations stream their news broadcasts on public and private channels including stations from Las Vegas, Indianapolis, Chicago and others.
Is Roku a replacement for cable? No. I agree on this point. But lack of news alternatives is not one of the reasons for this.