To determine if it’s worth it to try to save DC bureaus, we need to assess the impact of the reporting done by these bureaus

In response to a Pew report that found 21 states do not have a local news reporter dedicated to covering Congress, George Washington University’s Nikki Usher writes: “Most observers of journalism — and journalists too — would like to think that the work they do in Washington is making a difference. But there is little actual data that quantifies their impact. Not only do we need to know more about the work journalists are doing in DC if we are to justify their being there, we also need to ask hard questions about whether they are doing their jobs well rather than assuming that their sheer existence is some kind of normative good.”

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