Happening Now
So. that’s the past. Now let’s look at the present. Where are news librarians and what are they doing? As of spring 2022, the good news is that the situation is not completely dire. And maybe, just maybe, it is getting better.
First, it’s important to note that there are several well-known, high-profile media organizations that still do employ and rely on news researchers. While not all of these media outlets call those charged with news research and other related information intensive activities “news librarians,” the fact is, the function is alive, well, and sometimes even thriving in certain media companies. Here are some of the best-known media companies that maintain a staff of news librarians/researchers:
- Associated Press
- International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ)
- Los Angeles Times
- New York Times Co.
- National Public Radio, Inc.
- ProPublica, Inc.
- The Intercept
- News Corp. ( Wall Street Journal)
- Warner Media, LLC (CNN)
- Nash Holdings, LLC ( Washington Post)
What about actual new postings for news research jobs by media companies? It was what seemed like a burst of new job ads for news librarians and researchers this past fall and winter that got my attention and the desire to find out whether, in fact, this indicated an actual new trend. In addition to those jobs, a mid-February 2022 search for news researcher and news librarian jobs on Indeed, LinkedIn, and Google Jobs found active postings from the following media companies:
- Bloomberg
- California Business Journals ( San Diego Business Journal)
- CBS Sports
- CGTN-America
- Comcast ( NBC News)
- Crain Communications
- ESPN
- Fortune Media Group Holdings Ltd.
- Lincolnshire Management (Ingram’s Magazine)
- Media Matters for America
- Murdoch ( Fox News)
- Nash Holdings, LLC ( Washington Post)
- NBCUniversal
- New York Times Co.
- Philadelphia Media Network ( Philadelphia Inquirer)
- ProPublica
- Penske Media Corp. ( Rolling Stone)
- ViacomCBS
- Warner Media, LLC (CNN)
But is there any reason to believe that there is truly an actual increase in solicitations for news librarians/researchers? Margot Williams thinks there might be. She says, “Research as a component of news gathering seems to be making a comeback, with sites like ProPublica and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) building new research teams. The fact-checking universe opens up an opportunity for this expertise. Investigative nonprofits and local news outlets should get that research and fact-checking is not just a job for the interns. The research team is part of the editorial process.”
What about hard data to support these kinds of hunches? I tried to find out by seeing if it was possible to track new librarian/researcher posts over time by communicating with Indeed (indeed.com) and Recruiter.com. Unfortunately, such data was not possible to retrieve. Thus, I cannot say, with any certainty, that the anecdotal information and hunches that led me to investigate any rise in interest in hiring news librarians can be confirmed.
However, what can be said is that there are new and powerful forces, trends, and emerging needs in media organizations that make it increasingly likely that at least the most forward-thinking media companies will be looking for persons trained in understanding information, making for new, creative, and exciting opportunities for those librarians who want to position themselves as a news librarian, reimagined for the needs of the current time.
