While journalism faces a crisis of vanishing newsrooms and burnt-out reporters, from the ashes of traditional media a more diverse, digital-native industry is being forged.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, the U.S. news industry lost 2,729 journalism jobs, marking the second-highest annual decline on record
- As of 2022, there were approximately 31,000 journalists employed in U.S. newspapers, down 57% from 2008 levels of 71,000
- Women make up 47% of the U.S. journalism workforce in 2023, up from 34% in 2002
- U.S. newspaper ad revenue fell to $8.5 billion in 2022, down 8% from 2021 and 60% from 2006 peak
- Digital advertising for U.S. news media reached $30 billion in 2023, but only 20% went to journalism outlets
- Subscriptions revenue for U.S. newspapers grew to $2.1 billion in 2022, up 22% from 2021
- 54% of U.S. adults got news from TV in 2023, down from 62% in 2020
- Online news consumption reached 86% of U.S. adults weekly in 2023
- 33% of Americans pay for online news in 2023, up from 16% in 2016
- AI tools adopted by 12% of U.S. newsrooms for content in 2023
- Video content production increased 40% in digital newsrooms since 2020
- 60% of global news outlets use newsletters, averaging 20% open rates in 2023
- 68% of U.S. news executives cite audience trust erosion as top challenge in 2023
- Misinformation concerns affect 85% of global news consumers in 2023
- 43% of U.S. local newspapers at risk of closure by 2025
The journalism industry faces rapid job losses, increasing freelance roles and a need for greater diversity.
Audience and Readership
- 54% of U.S. adults got news from TV in 2023, down from 62% in 2020
- Online news consumption reached 86% of U.S. adults weekly in 2023
- 33% of Americans pay for online news in 2023, up from 16% in 2016
- Social media as primary news source for 30% of U.S. under-30s in 2023
- Weekly podcast news listenership at 41% in U.S. 2023, up 10% YoY
- 71% of U.S. adults use YouTube for news weekly in 2023
- Local news engagement: 47% of U.S. adults follow local news closely in 2023
- Global digital news report shows 40% weekly news avoiders in 2023
- UK online news reach 85% of population weekly in 2023
- Australia: 67% get news from online sources daily in 2023
- Canada news video consumption up 15% to 55% in 2023
- India: 65% of internet users consume news daily via mobile in 2023
- Brazil social media news use at 70% in 2023
- Germany: Print newspaper readership down to 20% daily in 2023
- France: 50% trust in news media in 2023, down 5%
- Japan: TV news viewership 60% daily among over-60s in 2023
- South Africa: Online news reach 45% of adults in 2023
- U.S. digital news sites had 1.2 billion monthly visits in Q1 2023
- 75% of U.S. news sites optimized for mobile in 2023, boosting traffic 25%
Audience and Readership Interpretation
The news industry is a schizophrenic octopus, clinging desperately to a dying TV limb with one arm while its other seven are furiously tapping, scrolling, and monetizing a fragmented digital world that is both voraciously consuming and actively avoiding its product.
Employment and Jobs
- In 2023, the U.S. news industry lost 2,729 journalism jobs, marking the second-highest annual decline on record
- As of 2022, there were approximately 31,000 journalists employed in U.S. newspapers, down 57% from 2008 levels of 71,000
- Women make up 47% of the U.S. journalism workforce in 2023, up from 34% in 2002
- 77% of U.S. journalists are white in 2023, with Black journalists comprising 6%, Hispanic 7%, and Asian 5%
- The median age of U.S. journalists rose to 42.7 years in 2022 from 41.4 in 2013
- Freelance journalists in the U.S. increased to 36% of the workforce in 2022, up from 23% in 2014
- U.S. newsrooms saw a 26% decline in total employees from 2018 to 2023, totaling about 49,000 full-time staff in 2023
- Digital-only news outlets employed 10,600 people in 2023, up 22% from 2022
- Local TV news stations in the U.S. had 28,300 employees in 2022, a slight increase from prior years
- Public radio newsrooms like NPR employ about 1,200 journalists as of 2023
- In the UK, journalism jobs fell by 20% between 2015 and 2023, from 70,000 to 56,000
- Australian newsrooms cut 3,000 jobs since 2020, with 2,200 in 2023 alone
- 40% of Canadian journalists were considering leaving the profession in 2023 due to burnout
- In India, there are over 100,000 journalists, but only 20% are formally employed full-time as of 2023
- Brazil's journalism sector employs 25,000 professionals, with 60% in precarious freelance roles in 2022
- German newsrooms have 85,000 employees, stable since 2019 but with increasing part-time roles
- French journalism jobs declined by 15% from 2010-2022, totaling 38,000 in 2022
- Japan's newspaper industry employs 40,000 journalists, down 30% in two decades
- South African media lost 2,000 journalism jobs between 2019-2023
- In 2023, 25% of U.S. journalists reported salary cuts averaging 15%
Employment and Jobs Interpretation
The alarming loss of traditional journalism jobs is creating an industry paradox: while it is slowly becoming more female and digital-first, it is also growing significantly older, less diverse, less secure, and globally exhausted.
Industry Challenges
- 68% of U.S. news executives cite audience trust erosion as top challenge in 2023
- Misinformation concerns affect 85% of global news consumers in 2023
- 43% of U.S. local newspapers at risk of closure by 2025
- Burnout reported by 62% of journalists globally in 2023
- Legal threats to journalists up 20% in U.S. 2023
- 76% of newsrooms face budget cuts in 2023
- UK: 50% journalists experienced harassment online in 2023
- Australia: 30% news outlets closed since 2020
- Canada: 25% decline in local news coverage since 2019
- India: 40% journalists face censorship pressures in 2023
- Brazil: Violence against journalists: 50 incidents in 2023
- Germany: Fake news takedowns: 10,000 cases in 2023
- France: Strikes in newsrooms up 15% in 2023
- Japan: Aging workforce: 30% journalists over 60 in 2023
- South Africa: 35% funding shortfall for public media in 2023
Industry Challenges Interpretation
The global journalism industry finds itself in a grim, gallows-humor-worthy paradox: while an insatiable public demand for credible news has never been higher, the reporters, budgets, and fundamental trust required to produce it are simultaneously being eroded, censored, harassed, and bankrupted at every turn.
Revenue and Economics
- U.S. newspaper ad revenue fell to $8.5 billion in 2022, down 8% from 2021 and 60% from 2006 peak
- Digital advertising for U.S. news media reached $30 billion in 2023, but only 20% went to journalism outlets
- Subscriptions revenue for U.S. newspapers grew to $2.1 billion in 2022, up 22% from 2021
- Global news industry revenue was $280 billion in 2023, with digital comprising 45%
- Local TV news revenue in U.S. hit $20 billion in 2022, driven by political ads at 40% share
- U.S. public broadcasting received $500 million in federal funding in 2023, 15% of total revenue
- Online news subscriptions in U.S. reached 85 million in 2023, generating $10 billion
- Print circulation revenue for newspapers dropped to $10 billion globally in 2022, down 50% since 2010
- Philanthropic funding for U.S. journalism hit $1.2 billion in 2022, up 20% YoY
- UK newspaper revenue fell 12% to £6.5 billion in 2023, with digital up 5%
- Australian media revenue declined 5% to AUD 10 billion in 2023
- Canadian news revenue from ads dropped 10% to CAD 4 billion in 2022
- India's news media market grew to INR 1.2 trillion in 2023, led by digital at 30%
- Brazil's journalism revenue was BRL 15 billion in 2022, with TV at 50%
- Germany's press revenue stable at €20 billion in 2023, subscriptions 60%
- Japan newspaper revenue ¥1.8 trillion in 2023, down 4%
- South Africa media revenue R50 billion in 2023, digital 25%
Revenue and Economics Interpretation
The industry is clinging to a digital life raft that is leaking like a sieve, propped up by subscriptions, politics, philanthropy, and sheer global inertia.
Technology and Innovation
- AI tools adopted by 12% of U.S. newsrooms for content in 2023
- Video content production increased 40% in digital newsrooms since 2020
- 60% of global news outlets use newsletters, averaging 20% open rates in 2023
- Podcasts grew 25% in news category, with 100 million U.S. listeners monthly in 2023
- Blockchain for news verification piloted by 5% of outlets in 2023
- AR/VR news experiences reached 10 million users globally in 2023
- UK newsrooms: 45% use data journalism tools daily in 2023
- Australia: 70% of news video is mobile-first in 2023
- Canada: 30% newsrooms use AI for personalization in 2023
- India: WhatsApp channels for news grew to 500 million users in 2023
- Brazil: TikTok news creators up 50% to 10,000 in 2023
- Germany: 55% news sites AMP-enabled for faster loading in 2023
- France: 25% use chatbots for news delivery in 2023
- Japan: LINE news app has 80 million MAU in 2023
- South Africa: SMS news alerts reach 15 million subscribers in 2023
Technology and Innovation Interpretation
The global newsroom is frantically, and often brilliantly, stitching itself back together across a hundred different platforms, desperately trying to be personal, portable, and punchy enough to catch your eye before you scroll away.
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