More than 300 newspapers closed in 2020, with print and digital ad revenue experiencing double-digit decreases. Today, only 20% of U.S. readers pay to access online editions of their favorite papers and only 3% say newspapers are their primary information source.
As we edge closer to herd immunity, it’s important to remember those who’ve spent the last year plus working to keep their communities informed during the pandemic, as well as through political and social unrest. As PR pros, we see the importance of supporting local journalism daily and want to amplify some of the media moves from newspapers across the country.
NATIONAL NEWSPAPERS
The New York Times
- Lyndsey Layton joined as deputy editor for policy on the Climate Desk. She was most recently the deputy editor on the climate and environment team at The Washington Post.
- After completing a fellowship at the paper, Kellen Browning has joined full time in the San Francisco bureau as a technology reporter.
- Adam Nagourney now covers cultural institutions of the West Coast.
- J. David Goodman moved to the Houston bureau to become bureau chief.
- After time at the National Desk, Ruth Graham is moving to Dallas to continue writing about faith in America.
- Haley Willis was promoted to video journalist after working across enterprise and breaking news investigations.
The Los Angeles Times
- Robert J. Lopez rejoined the team as an accountability reporter on the Metro team. Lopez was a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter before leaving the paper in 2014 to become the director of communications at Cal State Los Angeles.
- Jenn Harris is the new food columnist. She has been with the paper for more than a decade.
- After ten years at the Times, Melanie Mason is now an L.A.-based national political correspondent focusing on campaigns, constituencies, and issues.
- Seema Mehta will now focus on state politics and statewide races.
- Millie Quan is now working on enterprise projects across the newsroom while serving as editor for national and state political reporters and columnists.
- After time on the politics team, Matt Pearce has joined Calendar to cover Internet culture and podcasting.
REGIONAL NEWSPAPERS
- The Star Tribune updated its business news sections with the promotion of Courtnay Kim who is now the assistant managing editor, business news. Additionally, Nick Williams joined the team in Minneapolis as a reporter on the business news desk, covering entrepreneurs.
- Matthew Fleischer and Lauren Hepler have joined the San Francisco Chronicle as editorial page editor and housing and inequality reporter, respectively. Fleischer was previously a staff writer for LA Weekly; Hepler comes from CALMatters where she covered unemployment, the COVID-19 economy, and California migration.
- Shelby Webb was named renewable energy reporter on the Business Desk at the Houston Chronicle. Webb joined the Chronicle in 2016 covering suburban education.
- There were two editorial staff updates at The Dallas Morning News — Dom DiFurio now covers consumer companies and Marin Wolf will be joining the paper June 7 after graduating from the University of North Carolina to cover breaking news/general assignment business beat.
- Omaha-Herald hired Dan Crisler to report on business and higher education after spending nearly eight years at the Watertown Public Opinion in South Dakota.