Shop Talk

The Shop Talk panelists discuss the Pew Research Center’s 2013 State of the News Media report.

The study found newsroom staffs are shrinking, as are audiences. The RTDNA pointed out the survey discovered nearly one-third of news consumers have stopped turning to a particular new outlet because they were no longer getting the reporting they were accustomed to.

The panelists discuss whether public information officers help disseminate information or get in the way.

The Shop Talk panelists discuss a recent item on the Forbes website that lists reporters and announcers among the 13 surprisingly low-paid jobs.

The magazine used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It found the mean annual income for reporters and correspondents is $43,640. The bottom 10% make $20,000.

The mean annual income for radio and television announcers is $40,510. The bottom 10% make $17,150.

The Shop Talk panelists discuss an item from the Newsosaur blog titled Why Digital Natives Don’t Like Newspapers.

Panelist Lisa Kernek pointed out the younger generation prefers to travel lighter and they don’t want to be bogged down by large piles of newspapers or assets such as stacks of CDs.

The Shop Talk panelists discuss whether journalism is a profession that’s becoming dominated by elites.

The conversation was sparked by an MSNBC piece: How lower-income Americans are shut out of journalism. The article points out how future success in journalism can depend on attending the right college and making the right connections.  Such opportunities are not always available to those from low income backgrounds.