• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, Yesterday

Locales in the U.S. are suffering from a severe shortage of journalists, according to a new report from Rebuild Local News and Muck Rack. 

Only a quarter century ago, the U.S. averaged 40 journalists per 100,000 residents. That has fallen by 75% to 8.2 Local Journalist Equivalents, a new measure akin to a Full Time Equivalent.

And, of 3,141 counties in the U.S., more than 1,000  have not even one full-time Local Journalist Equivalent. This leaves 20.6 million people without identifiable local reporting, the report continues. 

Urban areas are also suffering from this dearth. 

“For instance, the Bronx—across a river from Manhattan, the media capital of America—has only 2.9 Local Journalist Equivalents per 100,000 people,” the study states. “That puts it just below Falls County, Texas (population 17,000 and named for a waterfall that no longer exists).”

Of the 48 counties with more than one million residents, “only 14 have more than 8.2 Local Journalist Equivalents per 100,000 people,” the study continues. 

The shortage also affects growing population centers. 

“For example, Fort Bend County, a suburb of Houston, and Washington County, a suburb of Portland, Oregon—both areas with rapidly growing populations—have about five Local Journalist Equivalents per 100,000 people,” the report continues. 

It adds, “The media in Houston and Portland cover those areas but typically only when there is a major incident with a large loss of life or property. Murders might get covered; school board meetings, don’t hold your breath.”

Don’t despair. There is at least some good news.      

“Some 111 counties—with a combined population of about 1.9 million people—have at least as many local journalists as the national average that was reported in 2002,” the study states,

Case in point: “Jerauld County, South Dakota, has 4.3 Local Journalist Equivalents total, which translates into an impressive 256.8 per 100,000 residents.” 

Maybe there are some open jobs!