North Carolina journalism professor Penelope Muse Abernathy has a grim job, compiling statistics that chronicle the decline of local news across the country. That picture isn’t getting any brighter in her latest report, out this week. But she can take some solace in the fact that people — politicians, community activists and regular citizens — are noticing the consequences of closed local newspapers and laid-off journalists. The closure of newspapers has accelerated this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Abernathy says an influx of public money will likely be necessary to ensure Americans stay informed about what’s going on in their communities.
By DAVID BAUDER
Posted inArticle, Arts And Culture
Newsroom quandary: Should ‘black’ be capitalized?
As U.S. newsrooms cover protests and sweeping changes in the wake of George Floyd’s death, newsroom leaders are asking: Should black be capitalized when describing a race of people? The Los Angeles Times, USA Today and NBC News decided last week that it should, and the National Association of Black Journalists is urging others to follow suit. The Associated Press and The New York Times are considering changes. For many black people, it’s a question of respect. A change by the AP would be consequential: its stylebook is used as a usage guide for news organizations, government and private agencies around the world.
Posted inArticle, Arts And Culture
Aftermath of Floyd death drives news interest, notably CNN
Demonstrations that spread throughout the country in the aftermath of George Floyd’s killing boosted television news programming, particularly CNN. The Nielsen company says that CNN increased its audience by 238 percent over 2019 for the two-week period. Fox News Channel was up 61 percent and MSNBC was up 40 percent over last year. Fox is still the most-watched network on cable television, but in the past two weeks CNN has slipped past MSNBC into second place. Meanwhile, ABC’s “World News Tonight” had more viewers each evening on average than anything in prime time.
