The Benefits of Public News and Why Layoffs Pose a Great Loss for the Free Press
Amid a swiftly evolving newspaper industry, ongoing economic instability, and the global pandemic, the demand for dependable information circulation in the United States has reached unprecedented levels. The media is elevated to the status of a public good when this need is recognized and prioritized by the government. Additionally, security, accessibility, and trust are enhanced, fortifying the overall relationship between the American populace and the media. But unfortunately, there is a steady trend of downsizing within public news media nowadays, possibly endangering this consistent and longstanding form of news.
This is not a new issue though.
The news industry has been in decline for the past twenty years, accelerated by the migration of advertising revenue to online platforms dominated by tech companies. The number of journalist positions in both national and local newsrooms sharply declined from 2008 to 2020, plummeting by 26 percent to 31,000 roles. Projections indicate this trend will continue, with jobs expected to decrease by three percent annually until 2032. Concurrently, readership has decreased, forcing once-thriving newspapers and magazines to either shrink drastically or cease operations altogether.
Reasons for Public News Media Layoffs
Audience declines and rising operational costs have placed substantial financial strain on media organizations. Reduced revenues from declining traditional media consumption have been compounded by dwindling advertising revenues. Meanwhile, costs for maintaining journalistic standards, adapting to digital platforms, and investing in technology have increased. This convergence of challenges has now forced media outlets to innovate quickly to maintain relevance and financial stability.
Public media organizations are also seeing a significant shift towards remote work preferences among staff post-pandemic. Employees value the improved work-life balance and job satisfaction that remote arrangements offer. This has prompted leaders to reconsider the necessity of full-time in-office work.
Layoffs’ Effect on the Free Press
Since 1980, the ratio of PR professionals to journalists has shifted significantly, growing from two to one to more than three to one by 2008. This trend indicates a looming reality often overlooked: the burgeoning influence of the public relations industry. PR professionals now often access news before journalists themselves, shaping the narrative through emails, phone tips, and press releases. Estimates suggest that a substantial portion of reported news, ranging from 25 percent to 85 percent, originates from PR sources. This dynamic means that PR, in collaboration with clients and away from public scrutiny, often dictates the initial narrative before journalists can intervene.
With fewer independent journalists available to uncover original stories, newsrooms increasingly rely on PR for ready-made content, solidifying a dependence that reinforces PR's sway. Journalists, keen to maintain vital PR connections, may find themselves constrained in their reporting, particularly when covering influential entities like Meta, Google, or the White House. This reliance further tilts the balance of power towards PR, potentially exacerbating the unequal influence between media and public relations in shaping public discourse.
Given the layoffs, the industry's ability to verify and report accurate information will be affected as well. With fewer journalists, there is a greater risk of fake news and misinformation spreading unchecked, undermining trust in reliable news sources and possibly increasing the distortion of public opinion. Moreover, struggling traditional newsrooms may give way to alternative platforms with lower editorial standards, further complicating efforts to maintain journalistic integrity. Essentially, these ongoing layoffs in the public news media pose challenges beyond the economy but also threaten the quality and reliability of information that are necessary for an informed public to engage in proper discourse and the democratic process altogether.
