Media Maneuvers: Number of Local Journalists Plummets
Fri, Jul. 11, 2025
By Steve Barnes
The number of local journalists in the US is dwindling rapidly, according to a new report from nonprofit organization Rebuild Local News and PR and communications software platform Muck Rack... Washington Post columnist Joe Davidson, who wrote its “Federal Insider” column for most of the 20 years he has been at the paper, is exiting. Cites Bezos as reason for quitting... Men's Journal is returning to print, beginning with a Summer Edition featuring Matty Matheson of FX’s The Bear.
The Reuters Institute’s 2025 Digital News Report finds that declining engagement, low trust and stagnating digital subscriptions are eroding the power of traditional news media....Anna Wintour is leaving behind her role as Vogue’s head of editorial content, though the will continue to oversee the magazine from her joint roles as chief content officer for Condé Nast and Vogue’s global editorial director... The BBC is putting up a paywall for US-based visitors who want to access all of BBC.com’s offerings. 
For the first time in history, Americans in May spent more time watching streaming content than broadcast or cable TV combined, according to Nielsen data.
High Times is preparing to resume publication of its magazine in limited-run, collectible editions, following the brand’s acquisition by RAW Rolling Papers founder Josh Kesselman... VICE Media names Adam Stotsky, a former NBCUniversal exec and president of Dick Clark Productions, as CEO... Condé Nast picks Mark Guiducci to serve as global editorial director of Vanity Fair, a newly created role, effective June 30. 
A new study reveals a significant asymmetry in media trust among Democrats and Republicans, with Democrats more likely to trust and consume a wider variety of news media, while Republicans remain more likely to distrust news organizations and restrict their media diet to a few select sources.
The Washington Post prepares to launch "Ripple," which would expand its opinion section to a range of outside sources... Voice of America will become a mere shadow of its former self if the Trump administration has its way... Newsweek acquires Adprime, a healthcare-focused advertising platform. 
Democratic Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Chris Van Hollen have blasted Kari Lake’s decision to partner Voice of America and Office of Cuba Broadcasting with One America News.
The Telegraph, a UK paper founded in 1855, agrees to be acquired by RedBird Capital Partners, a US firm... News/Media Alliance CEO Danielle Coffey slams Google for its new “A.I. mode.”... The Baltimore Banner editor-in-chief Kimi Yoshino is heading to the Washington Post, where she will start as managing editor on July 7.
The New York Times continues to improve its financial performance, the company revealed in its first-quarter 2025 results... One America News Network will now provide newsfeed services to Voice of America and other US government-funded media outlets... TIME hires Gemma Fox, who was previously deputy US editor for the Times of London, as editorial director, news.
Lauren Skowronski, director of communications at Snap Inc., has been named senior VP-communications at CNBC.
Trust in the news media has continued to decline among Americans, with skepticism especially growing among younger audiences, according to a recent study.
Amazon may be coming to TikTok’s rescue in the nick of time as the app faces an April 5 deadline to cut ties with its Chinese owner or face a ban in the US, according to the New York Times... Vanity Fair editor Radhika Jones is heading out the door at the Condé Nast title she has headed up since 2017... Newspapers have dodged the bullet as regards the proposed tariffs on newsprint—for now.
Financial Times group chief executive John Ridding is stepping down after close to 20 years in the position... MSNBC hires Scott Matthews as SVP of newsgathering, effective March 17, as the network prepares for life after its connection to NBC News... Gallup has released a report showing that two-thirds of Americans either do not trust the media very much (31 percent) or do not trust it all (36 percent). 
Last week, Jeff Bezos just did something rare in today’s media landscape: he embraced common sense.
Trump Media & Technology Group CEO Devin Nunes received compensation of $46.9M for 2024, the year in which the company recorded full-year revenues of $3.6M and a $400.8M net loss.
Gannett agrees to sell the Austin American-Statesman to Hearst, which owns the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News... Trump-loving Fox News and Newsmax are among the 40 major news organizations that ask the White House to lift its ban of The Associated Press... ESPN is pulling the plug on its coverage of Major League Baseball after the 2025 season.
The New York Times, thanks to a “healthy growth in subscribers, revenue and profitability” recorded a 26.4 percent surge in net income to $293.8M... Lara Trump is taking on a new job title: Fox talk show host... NBC News, NPR, The New York Times and Politico are being booted out of their dedicated office spaces at the Pentagon.
News outlets are shutting down across the U.S. at an alarming rate, upending public trust in media and contributing to the further spread of misinformation. Here’s what public relations professionals can do to help ensure local media’s continued survival.
