“Scan the headlines of 2005 and one question seems inevitable: Will we recall this as the year when journalism in print began to die?” So begins the Pew Research Center’s study on the state of the news media, released in March. The link to the study offers more than my post from a few days ago. Does the end of news on print mean the end of in-depth journalism. If current trends continue, the answer is certainly yes.
“The ominous announcements gathered steam as the year went on. The New York Times would cut nearly 60 people from its newsroom, the Los Angeles Times 85; Knight Ridder’s San Jose Mercury News cut 16%, the Philadelphia Inquirer 15% — and that after cutting another 15% only five years earlier. By November, investors frustrated by poor financial performance forced one of the most cost-conscious newspaper chains of all, Knight Ridder, to be put up for sale.”
While circulation cuts in 2005 only amounted to 3 percent, and profit margins for newspapers remain near 20 percent, conditions left unchecked will certainly bring damaging effects to the nation’s newsgather, according to the study. It’s certainly an interesting read for those interested in the state of the news media.
