Journalism took another body blow over the weekend when reporters, photographers, and editors at the San Francisco Chronicle voted to allow the company to lay off 150 people – mostly from the newsroom. Don’t get me wrong; I think the union rank-and-file did what it had to. If they had rejected the deal union leaders made last week with company negotiators, the result would have been worse – 225 layoffs. Nonetheless, it’ll be sad to watch so many journalists getting the axe. A lot of good people will be out of jobs soon, and that’s not a good sign for our democracy. Fewer journalists mean fewer stories will be uncovered. The decline of journalism, in short, will surely give rise to more corruption and ethical lapses in government and business. Wrongdoing thrives in the shadows.
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