Many important public policy debates are centered in the nation’s state capitols—particularly with gridlock often gripping the U.S. Congress. In fact, nearly half of the state legislatures (24) enacted more laws in 2012 alone than Congress did in 2011 and 2012 combined.
To inform citizens about what is happening in America’s 50 statehouses, there are currently 1,592 journalists assigned to cover their workings, according to a Pew Research report published today that provides a first-ever detailed accounting of the statehouse press corps. After years of cutbacks in the legacy news industry, the shape of that press corps is shifting as nontraditional media outlets try to fill the gap. Here are five key takeaways about who is watching state governments today:
