At the Netroots Nation conference this year, I heard Austin Guest of the Progressive States Network cite a rather startling statistic. While there are tens of thousands of registered lobbyists in state capitols nationwide (including close to 3,000 here in the Land of Lincoln), there are only about 500 statehouse reporters still employed across the country -- approximately ten per state. Well, that number just got smaller this week with the Rockford Register-Star's decision to close its Springfield bureau, staffed by Aaron Chambers.
Rich Miller recounts other recent hits to the statehouse press corps:
The Champaign News-Gazette closed its bureau earlier this year, putting Kate Clements Cohorst out of a job. The Tribune eliminated one of its Statehouse positions on Friday, laying off the incredibly hard-working Jeff Meitrodt, who was recruited from New Orleans not long ago. And, as of yet, the AP has not filled the vacancy created when Ryan Keith was hired by the State Journal-Register.
Of course, Springfield isn't alone in this respect. In the past year, we've also seen state capitol reporters laid off in Colorado, Massachusetts, Idaho, Connecticut, Maine, and California.
Ugh.
More on this issue from Capitol Fax and Kiyoshi Martinez.
UPDATE: Archpundit weighs in.
CORRECTION (8/20): This post originally attributed the above block quote to Rep. John Fritchey's blog. In fact, the highlighted text appeared on Capitol Fax.
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