Legendary newsman Bob Schieffer cited an astounding statistic on Sunday that shows just how cloistered and geographically insulated journalists have become over the past decade.
“In 2004, one reporter in eight lived in New York, Washington, or Los Angeles. That number is now down to one-in-five who live in those three places,” Schieffer said on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” the political talk show he hosted until 2015.
That statistic is from Schieffer’s new book, “Overload: Finding the Truth in Today’s Deluge of News.”
Schieffer suggested that the geographical realignment has shut many Americans off from reputable local news outlets.
“In a lot of parts of the country right now, it’s not a question of bias news or too much news, it’s a question of no news,” he said, citing a statistic that 62 percent of Americans are getting their news from social media — websites like Facebook and Twitter.
“You don’t know who to believe. Is it true, is it not true?” Schieffer said.
“The new medium is shakier in terms of standards and also fewer reporters out in the real part of the country. In other words, everybody’s out there in their bubble?” “Face the Nation” moderator John Dickerson asked.
“Yes,” replied Schieffer.
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