Social media aids erosion of trust in newspapers

In 2000, newspapers in the USA generated $20 billion from classified ads, accounting for 40% of their total advertising revenue. This income sustained the vital, quality local journalism that communities depended on. By 2012, however, this figure had plummeted to $4.6 billion — a staggering 77% decline. Between 2004 and 2018, the number of newspaper owners decreased by 1,400, with the largest 25 companies consolidating nearly one-third of all newspapers by 2018.

The ongoing collapse of the newspaper industry has profoundly impacted the sustainable employment of professional journalists. Between 2008 and 2020, newsroom employment dropped by 57%, shrinking from approximately 71,000 jobs to just 31,000. This trend continues, with nearly 2,000 newsroom jobs lost in the past year alone. The result? Potentially millions of subscribers have turned to the limitless, unverified claims of sensationalist social media, further eroding the trust and cohesion that local journalism once provided to our communities.

Robert Heath

Cedar Rapids