To inform citizens about what is happening in Americaโs 50 statehouses, there are currently 1,592 journalists assigned to cover their workings, according to a new Pew Research report.
The ascension of Dean Baquetโthe first African-American to run the paperโs newsroomโhas renewed the focus on minority hiring in the news industry.
In the past 15 years, the percentage of women who work in newspaper newsrooms has barely budged. Women made up 36% of all newspaper staff in 2012, a slight decline from 37% in 1998.
In many ways, 2013 and early 2014 brought a level of energy to the news industry not seen for a long time. Even as challenges of the past several years continue and new ones emerge, the activities this year have created a new sense of optimism โ or perhaps hope โ for the future of American journalism.
A growing number of dailies have reduced the amount of newsprint they devote to editorials and commentary, a departure from tradition that has gone largely unnoticed outside the affected communities.
The stunning sale of The Washington Post to Amazon.com billionaire Jeff Bezos says something important about the economics of the Post itself, the continuing struggles of the newspaper industry and the market value of some of Americaโs great metro dailies. A Pew Research Center report provides the numbers that help put the $250 million deal into context.