In the real world, there are almost as many Republicans as Democrats. But in American newsrooms, it’s an ideological black hole.
a study The Syracuse University School of Journalism found that only 3.4% of American journalists identify as Republican. This is not just an imbalance. It’s a comedy farce on an epic scale. But no one is laughing.
For conservatives, the only answer is conservative media. Only the market can fix this.
This number is the lowest ever for a conservative journalist. 10 years ago, A whopping 7% Number of all journalists identified as Republicans. In the 1970s, about a quarter of journalists identified as Republicans. Meanwhile, just over 36% of journalists in the latest survey were Democrats, a nearly 11-to-1 ratio.
It’s not terrible that most journalists consider themselves “independent,” but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re unbiased. But Democrats still far outnumber the tiny number of conservatives in corporate “mainstream” newsrooms.
Finding conservatives in a typical newsroom is starting to feel like a puzzle where Wally decides to stay home. why? There are several possible reasons.
crusade
Many of them have really good intentions. As college students, they want to make a difference in this world. They want to highlight issues and people that are overlooked. They want to give a voice to people who think they don’t have a voice. Almost by definition, they want change.
I was talking about this idea with my former boss, John Moody, the founding head of news at FOX News Channel. His litmus test for new journalists was as simple as it was obvious.
“I ask him or her, ‘Why do you want to be in the news?’ If they say, ‘I want to help change the world,’ or ‘make the world a better place,’ I ask him or her, ‘Why do you want to be in the news?’ I pointed to it and said, “The Red Cross is just over there.”
“If they say, “What do you mean?” I would say, “It’s a reporter’s job to tell you what you see with your own eyes, or what you hear from a reliable source, or preferably two people.” It’s about telling the world.” It’s not about telling them what you want or think. ”
“A lot of those people left disappointed. They probably ended up at CNN.”
easy geography
New York City is the epicenter of network news. To be fair, it’s the largest city in the country and also the largest television market. However, many Fox News employees in the Los Angeles bureau were upset that the sun rose and set in New York (thus, they learned they had to work an East Coast work schedule).
Many liberals also live in New York City. Democrats hold the majority of public offices in the city. And 68% of registered voters in the city are Democrats. So it’s no surprise that New York City newsrooms also lean Democratic.
Even watching local news shows how geography attracts people on the left. In general, large cities tend to lean more blue than red. And large cities are generally better able to support local news stations and newspapers. The largest newspapers in Japan are all local newspapers in major cities.
There are also many young journalists in smaller markets who may not be from the area but are working their way up to bigger stations.
hostile news media
Most news managers probably hire people who think like them. If you don’t make an effort to hire people who think differently than you, you’ll naturally gravitate towards people you believe are wise. And since they think similarly to you, there’s a good chance you believe they are wise.
And once a small majority is established in a certain direction, those who disagree will have a hard time speaking out. Another friend, a former news company executive, declared: “Why would a smart, ambitious conservative join a club where he is unwelcome and likely to be exposed to career discrimination, if not entirely legal?”
At this point, it’s too far to turn this train around.
For conservatives, the only answer is conservative media. Only the market can fix this.
And every time I turn around, I see traditional stores shrinking. The Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, NBC News, ABC News, NPR, Vice, Vox, BuzzFeed and others have laid off hundreds of journalists over the past year.
In contrast, conservative media is still on the rise, serving half of the country that is ridiculed by other media outlets.
Conservatives probably won’t reappear in the old mainstream news organizations, but if readers instead come to Blaze News or the new Conservative Reporters Corps, perhaps that doesn’t matter.
Ken LaCorte is a former Fox News executive who hosts “Elephants in Rooms,” a show where he discusses topics vilified by the mainstream.you can find him YouTube and substack.
