TV news staffing rose 4.3 percent across the U.S. in 2011, to its second-highest level ever, according to a new study by the Radio Television Digital News Association and Hofstra University. Although the industry’s total employment, 27,653, is lower than it was in 2000, staffing at the average station is higher because there are fewer stations producing news now than in 2000.
The situation couldn’t be more different from the newspaper industry, where staffs and page counts continue to shrink. Newspaper staffing is the lowest since ASNE started its annual census in 1978. Several newspapers have announced plans to stop printing on certain days. Still, the newspaper industry had 40,600 newsroom employees at the last count, many more than television stations.
