Erosion of television coverage of city hall? Perceptions of TV reporters on the beat

In a mail survey of 283 television journalists (67 percent completion) who cover city government in the 214 U.S. television markets, respondents were asked about station commitment to local government news in terms of promine nce, airtime, and perceived newsroom importance. Small-market stations were seen as more committed to covering city hall, a finding consistent with co ntent analysis data about local news coverage. Move veteran reporters perce ived diminishing commitment and quality during the last five years, with fe wer stories and less airtime.