I also consider influential the money dumped into US political publishing starting in the 1970s, that led to key erosion of progressive agenda points; the erosion of journalism started in that same period, which led to the shedding of a vast percentage of journalists.
That last effort to reduce actual shoe leather gathering stories forced the existing workforce to concentrate on inconsequential story angles such as the destructive and divisive horse race coverage.
Also, there is substantial evidence that this lay off effort, which started with the more progressive journalists fired first, began well before the 2008 bust. It was well underway in the early '90s. I theorize that Watergate, the Church Committee, and other purges in wealthy political intersections, motivated the wealthy (which, of course, own the newspapers) to reduce reporter ranks in order to do what they want without as much fear of detection. For evidence of its long-term effectiveness, witness the Duke Cunningham prosecution, which was only the tip of the crapburg. The prosecutions stopped after W. fired the attorneys general just as the same investigation that got Cunningham was ramping up.
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Date: 2019-10-31 11:50 pm (UTC)That last effort to reduce actual shoe leather gathering stories forced the existing workforce to concentrate on inconsequential story angles such as the destructive and divisive horse race coverage.
Also, there is substantial evidence that this lay off effort, which started with the more progressive journalists fired first, began well before the 2008 bust. It was well underway in the early '90s. I theorize that Watergate, the Church Committee, and other purges in wealthy political intersections, motivated the wealthy (which, of course, own the newspapers) to reduce reporter ranks in order to do what they want without as much fear of detection. For evidence of its long-term effectiveness, witness the Duke Cunningham prosecution, which was only the tip of the crapburg. The prosecutions stopped after W. fired the attorneys general just as the same investigation that got Cunningham was ramping up.