As state governments increasingly serve as both staging grounds for national policies and potential havens from federal influence, the importance of statehouse journalism has grown. Scholars in UW Communication’s Center for Media, Journalism, and Democracy (CJMD) recently released a case study of Olympia, Washington, examining whether journalists are prepared to meet this need. Like press corps in other states, Olympia’s statehouse reporters face mounting financial pressures, rapid technological changes, and shifting audience expectations—all reshaping how they cover state government. Through interviews with current and former statehouse reporters and a comprehensive content analysis of news pertaining to the 2023 legislative session, the CJMD’s study reveals the strengths and limitations of Washington’s state-government reporting, offering insight into the challenges and opportunities facing statehouse journalism today.
A recent edition of The Seattle Times’ Voices for the Free Press newsletter highlighted the findings of the CJMD’s report, documenting a shrinking statehouse press corp, challenges with audience engagement, a new generation of state-government reporters, an increased role for specialized and general reporters, and an expansion of news offerings and platforms.
The report was a collaborative project from Professors Matt Powers and Patricia Moy, recent Ph.D graduate Meagan Doll, and Ph.D candidate Russell Hansen.