Shrinking Bureaus: As Local Coverage Goes—and It’s Going—So Goes the Post
When news broke that the Washington Post was closing its suburban bureaus, Marcus Brauchli promised coverage wouldn't be lost, but local coverage has been gone for some time now
Postwatchers are chewing over the decision ofWashington Postofficials to close suburban bureaus, trying to figure out the true impact on local coverage and implications for the newspaper’s future.
“We take them at their word,” said reporter and union leader Fred Kunkle, “but we’re worried this means we won’t be committed to aggressively covering the region.”
“I hope this is truly not a retrenchment,” saidPostombudsman Patrick Pexton.
The truth is that thePostquit aggressively covering the Washington region years ago, perhaps as early as 2000. And executive editor Marcus Brauchli’s surrender to the business side’s pressure to close bureaus is beyond retrenchment—it’s a retreat.
I agree with Pexton and every street reporter that “being there” and “showing up” produce the best journalism. Reporters who live where they report, walk the streets, eat at the restaurants, endure the commutes, and see public officials during the course of the day get the best stories. Staying in the office strapped to a desk and a computer produces bloodless, second-rate journalism.
So the closing of bureaus in Rockville and Upper Marlboro, Fairfax and Leesburg will make for denatured journalism, period.
But there’s a cascade of half-truths and worrisome signs embedded in the decision to shrink local bureaus except for the capital bureaus in Richmond and Annapolis.
Let’s start with Post Company chairman Don Graham. Graham no longer isPostpublisher, but as Post Company chairman he does have ultimate control over the iconic newspaper. By allowing the bureaus to close, Graham puts the lie to his perennial pronouncements that thePostis above all a local newspaper.
Here’s another reason to doubt the statement in Brauchli’s memo that closing bureaus “will have no adverse impact on our coverage of the region.” When Brauchli closedPostnational bureaus in California, New York, and Chicago, he promised no loss of coverage—anyPostreader can tell you national coverage has suffered. “That’s gone,” says aPostreporter.
“We are maintaining staffing levels in the suburbs,” Brauchli’s memo said. But word in the newsroom is that Prince William County reporter Jennifer Buske and Alexandria correspondent Christy Goodman might be gone. The paper’s experiment with bloggers has not worked out, and many are being cut, according to union sources.
Anyone who’s read the paper for more than five years knows suburban coverage has declined. Closing the bureaus is like razing the barn after the cows have left.
Tamara Jones worked in the Fairfax bureau in the 1990s when it was staffed up with reporters.
“I absolutely loved it,” she says. “We were a tight bureau”—it included Peter Baker, Patti Davis, Marylou Tousignant, and others—“who would usually order in food and eat together in our conference room everyday. There were no editors/supervisors in the bureau, and everyone worked their asses off.”
Sure, reporters can file from their living rooms or the local Starbucks, but the journalism suffers.
“They’re giving up more than their leases with this sad move,” says Jones, who took a buyout and has gone on to a successful freelance writing career. “They’re losing a big piece of the paper’s soul and a perspective they won’t be able to replicate. Turning bureau reporters into mobile newsbots isn’t the same. Bureaus are a unique mix of experience, ages, backgrounds/filters, and interests, and reporters get a lot just bouncing things off each other, et cetera.”
The question left forPostreporters and editors is this: Given the gradual but constant reduction in the news-gathering side, what, if anything, are Brauchli and thePostleadership doing to improve the product and enhance the brand?
Shrinking Bureaus: As Local Coverage Goes—and It’s Going—So Goes the Post
When news broke that the Washington Post was closing its suburban bureaus, Marcus Brauchli promised coverage wouldn't be lost, but local coverage has been gone for some time now
Post watchers are chewing over the decision of Washington Post officials to close suburban bureaus, trying to figure out the true impact on local coverage and implications for the newspaper’s future.
“We take them at their word,” said reporter and union leader Fred Kunkle, “but we’re worried this means we won’t be committed to aggressively covering the region.”
“I hope this is truly not a retrenchment,” said Post ombudsman Patrick Pexton.
The truth is that the Post quit aggressively covering the Washington region years ago, perhaps as early as 2000. And executive editor Marcus Brauchli’s surrender to the business side’s pressure to close bureaus is beyond retrenchment—it’s a retreat.
I agree with Pexton and every street reporter that “being there” and “showing up” produce the best journalism. Reporters who live where they report, walk the streets, eat at the restaurants, endure the commutes, and see public officials during the course of the day get the best stories. Staying in the office strapped to a desk and a computer produces bloodless, second-rate journalism.
So the closing of bureaus in Rockville and Upper Marlboro, Fairfax and Leesburg will make for denatured journalism, period.
But there’s a cascade of half-truths and worrisome signs embedded in the decision to shrink local bureaus except for the capital bureaus in Richmond and Annapolis.
Let’s start with Post Company chairman Don Graham. Graham no longer is Post publisher, but as Post Company chairman he does have ultimate control over the iconic newspaper. By allowing the bureaus to close, Graham puts the lie to his perennial pronouncements that the Post is above all a local newspaper.
Here’s another reason to doubt the statement in Brauchli’s memo that closing bureaus “will have no adverse impact on our coverage of the region.” When Brauchli closed Post national bureaus in California, New York, and Chicago, he promised no loss of coverage—any Post reader can tell you national coverage has suffered. “That’s gone,” says a Post reporter.
“We are maintaining staffing levels in the suburbs,” Brauchli’s memo said. But word in the newsroom is that Prince William County reporter Jennifer Buske and Alexandria correspondent Christy Goodman might be gone. The paper’s experiment with bloggers has not worked out, and many are being cut, according to union sources.
Anyone who’s read the paper for more than five years knows suburban coverage has declined. Closing the bureaus is like razing the barn after the cows have left.
Tamara Jones worked in the Fairfax bureau in the 1990s when it was staffed up with reporters.
“I absolutely loved it,” she says. “We were a tight bureau”—it included Peter Baker, Patti Davis, Marylou Tousignant, and others—“who would usually order in food and eat together in our conference room everyday. There were no editors/supervisors in the bureau, and everyone worked their asses off.”
Sure, reporters can file from their living rooms or the local Starbucks, but the journalism suffers.
“They’re giving up more than their leases with this sad move,” says Jones, who took a buyout and has gone on to a successful freelance writing career. “They’re losing a big piece of the paper’s soul and a perspective they won’t be able to replicate. Turning bureau reporters into mobile newsbots isn’t the same. Bureaus are a unique mix of experience, ages, backgrounds/filters, and interests, and reporters get a lot just bouncing things off each other, et cetera.”
The question left for Post reporters and editors is this: Given the gradual but constant reduction in the news-gathering side, what, if anything, are Brauchli and the Post leadership doing to improve the product and enhance the brand?
Closing bureaus is not the answer.
Subscribe to Washingtonian
Follow Washingtonian on Twitter
More>> Capital Comment Blog | News & Politics | Party Photos
Don’t Miss Another Big Story—Get Our Weekend Newsletter
Our most popular stories of the week, sent every Saturday.
Most Popular in News & Politics
Trump Hotel Employees Reveal What It Was Really Like Catering to the Right Wing Elite
Washington’s Most Influential People
March 4 Isn’t the Only Date on the QAnon Calendar
Inside DC’s Secret Covid Morgue
Trump Hotel Rates Are Over $1,300 on March 4—the Date in a Wild QAnon Theory
Washingtonian Magazine
March 2021: The Influencers
View IssueSubscribe
Get Us on Social
Get Us on Social
Related
Video From Fall Real Estate Market Update With Local Leaders
Washingtonian Real Estate Virtual Happy Hour
Videos from Washingtonian’s Wellness Day
Washingtonian Real Estate Virtual Happy Hour
More from News & Politics
Guest List
Hunter Biden’s Paintings: What Do Art Experts Think?
🌸🌸🌸Cherry Blossom Peak Bloom Is Predicted for April 2-5🌸🌸🌸
March 4 Isn’t the Only Date on the QAnon Calendar
Maryland Looks to Get Rid of Its Pro-Confederate State Song
Marijuana Sales Could Finally Become Legal in DC
A Funny Flowchart About the New Way to Network in DC
Why This Top Facebook Exec Still Gets Dressed Up for Work Every Day