While most major newspapers have a political writer or editor on staff, disappeared from nearly every newsroom is a religion writer or editor, observed Grumpy Editor.
As Julia Duin pointed out in a Wall Street Journal op-ed piece: “It’s always been a struggle to persuade news executives that Americans are more interested in religion than, say, sports.”
“Never-ending layoffs, firings and closings left religion among the most decimated of the specialty beats," Duin wrote, adding “whole regions of the western U.S. and Canada have no staff reporter covering religion. Imagine if no one covered sports in Oregon, Wyoming and Arizona.”
She cited the Wall Street Journal employs a religion reporter based in Los Angeles along with a Vatican City correspondent in Rome.
“It’s a shame so few outlets seem to take religion seriously anymore,” she said.
Grumpy Editor also observed other formerly busy beats missing from newsrooms include: science editor, youth editor, aviation editor and labor editor.
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