Two U.S. Senators and eleven members of the U.S. House of Representatives have sent a letter to Star-Ledger and NJ Advance Media executives protesting their decision to close their Washington, D.C. bureau and let veteran journalist Jonathan D. Salant go.
“This action will immediately leave millions of New Jerseyans with no first-hand access to the issues being debated in Congress or to information about how actions taken by federal agencies specifically affect our state,” the lawmakers said. “This is particularly concerning given that NJAM is currently the only New Jersey media outlet with a full-time correspondent based in Washington, D.C.
The letter was signed by Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, and Reps. Christopher Smith (R-Manchester), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-Long Branch), Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-Paterson), Donald Norcross (D-Camden), Donald Payne, Jr. (D-Newark), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing), Josh Gottheimer (D-Wyckoff), Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair), Andy Kim (D-Moorestown), Robert J. Menendez (D-Jersey City) and Thomas Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield).
“The authors of this letter have different political ideologies, but this is one issue we agree on – we oppose the decision to close the Washington bureau,” they said. “Our constituents rely on this coverage to be informed participants in our democracy.”
With Gannett New Jersey ending their coverage of Capitol Hill in late 2018, Salant has been the state’s lone reporter in Washington covering the New Jersey delegation.
The senators and House members bemoaned the diminished coverage of local news, including the Star-Ledger, which has seen its circulation plummet in recent years.
“New Jerseyans used to receive their news from a variety of local newspapers that covered relevant stories in their counties and communities. Today, broad swaths of our state are news deserts with little-to-no local news coverage,” Menendez, Booker, and the nine House members said.
The lawmakers said that solutions to declining revenues and competition from digital platforms won’t be cutting essential staff.
“Experienced reporters like Jonathan Salant are crucial parts of Capitol Hill’s media ecosystem — they keep elected officials like us accountable and consistently break news that is relevant to our constituents in New Jersey,” they said.
Earlier today, Gov. Phil Murphy called Salant, “a reporter’s reporter.”
“A model journalist who mentored countless others and an incredibly good guy. His layoff, alongside those of NJ.com photojournalists, is a short-sighted decision that diminishes our civic dialogue,” Murphy said.
Menendez called the “abrupt” decision by the Star-Ledger to terminate their precent in Washington a disservice to our state as it will immediately leave millions of New Jerseyans with no first-hand access to the issues being debated in Congress.”
Twenty years ago, when the Jersey Journal was on the chopping block, then-Congressman Menendez played a role in saving the daily newspaper.
Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-Dennis) is the only member of the New Jersey delegation to not sign the letter.
The letter was sent to Advance Publications Co-President Steven Newhouse, NJ Advance Media President Steve Alessi, and Chris Kelly, the vice president for content.
2023.3.1 Letter to NJ Advance Media re Washington Bureau_FINALThis story was upated at 2:07 PM to include the addition of Payne and Kean as signatories.
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