Why aren't more people alarmed by the falling numbers of reporters?

The world has fewer watchdog journalists when they’re needed more than ever

By Bill Buzenberg, The Center For Public Integrity

America’s total newsroom workforce dropped 17,000, from 55,000 in 2006 to 38,000 in 2012, according to the Pew Research Journalism Project. This plunge is due primarily to the digital disruption of newspapers.

One result: there is likely a lot less investigative journalism being done. Fewer watchdogs could mean this is a really good time to be a crook, suggested Alberto Ibarguen, president of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and a Forum moderator.*