Resource the News

Another report along the lines of the previous – Web revolution leaving newsgathering in a lurch

The problem with cutbacks media-wide, according to Tom Rosenstiel (director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism, publishers of the State of the News Media report), is that in many communities, “people will suddenly discover that there hasn’t been a reporter at the city council meeting for weeks and that no one is checking the police blotter. It could happen little by little and be discovered after the fact.“

And with the reliance on newspaper journalism driving daily radio and TV stories (because of their own staff cutbacks), the loss of a newspaper or even just a diminished capacity to report as it once did, will have news coverage consequences for radio and TV also. Naturally this translates to a less-informed public because of a dearth of coverage media-wide.

There is an argument that online should be 24 hours, news straight to the web rather than waiting for the print run, hourly update or 6pm broadcast, but lack of resources, if only in staffing, presents the same problems for the online arm of newspapers.

“…most newspapers are ramping up their websites to stay relevant. But because online advertising lags in comparison to print, many newspapers can’t adequately staff their websites with reporters who gather news.