…to cover a convention? There are an estimated 15,000 journalists in Denver for the DNC. “(And) 7,500 aren’t doing much at all,” writes Justin Peters in Columbia Journalism Review. “Only a small number of reporters actually have a reason to be here.” From a business standpoint — which needs to be taken more seriously than ever in today’s economic times — sending thousands of people to cover the same thing just to have “presence” is overkill.
In fact, many local TV stations and newspapers have passed this time around due to budget concerns. Even WCCO in Minneapolis, the site of the upcoming RNC, didn’t send a reporter. “My company, and local media in general, have been talking about not going for the last 12 years, the last three conventions,” said WCCO’s chief political correspondent Pat Kessler. “I’ve been waiting for a long time for this shoe to drop, and now it has.” In fact, even Minneapolis’ online-only news site, MinnPost sent a reporter. And the Minneapolis NPR station sent an entire team. “They’re sending what, like 20 people?” Kessler says. “Is there such a thing as too much local coverage?”
In journalism’s new financial reality, yes there is, whether you like it or not.