Local Newspapers Close at Faster Pace; Public Trust in Science Has Fallen

Local newspapers closed at an accelerated rate of 2.5 per week in 2023, a report from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University finds. As the Poynter Institute reports, more than 130 U.S. newspapers have closed or merged this past year. More than half of U.S. counties have just one or no local news outlets.

Since 2005, the United States has lost nearly 2,900 newspapers and 43,000 journalists, researchers found. Many independently owned newspapers have given up after years of struggling financially, while large chains are selling off or closing newspapers as revenue falls and debt mounts. Researchers also identified 36 markets where “ghost newspapers” owned by large chains have no local journalists on staff and no original, local reporting.

With fewer newspapers and journalists, it’s “harder for people to hold their state and local elected officials accountable,” the report says. Fewer journalists covering city halls and state governments mean “the average citizen knows less and less about what their local government officials are doing.”

Public Trust in Science Has Fallen, Survey Finds

The share of U.S. adults who say they have a great deal of trust in scientists has fallen from 39% in 2020 to 23% today, a Pew Research Center survey finds. Overall, 57% of Americans say science has had a “mostly positive” effect on society, but that share is down by 8 percentage points since November 2021 and by 16 points since before the coronavirus outbreak. 

Trust in scientists has dropped 14 points compared to during the early stages of the pandemic, but 73% of U.S. adults surveyed say they have a great deal or fair amount of confidence that scientists act in the public’s best interests. Roughly a quarter (27%) now say they have “not too much” or “no confidence” that scientists act in the public’s best interests, a 12% jump in mistrust since April 2020. 

In recent years public confidence has also fallen that business leaders, religious leaders, journalists and elected officials will act in the public’s best interests.

Number of International Students in U.S. Colleges Jumps

International students attending U.S. universities rebounded in record numbers during the 2022-23 academic year, following a pandemic slump, the Associated Press reports. More than 1 million students came from abroad, the most since the 2019-20 school year, according to a study by the State Department and the nonprofit Institute of International Education. 

The United States “remains the destination of choice for international students wishing to study abroad, as it has been for more than a century,” said Allan E. Goodman, CEO of the Institute of International Education.

American colleges enrolled nearly 269,000 students from India, a 35% jump to an all-time high and second only to China. Most foreign students come for graduate programs in science, technology and business. China still accounted for the most foreign students in the United States with 290,000, but its numbers fell for the third consecutive year, the AP reports. 

University leaders say international students are usually charged higher tuition rates, effectively subsidizing college for U.S. students.

Business-Travel Expenses Rise, Including for Hybrid and Remote Workers

Business travel has increased after the pandemic, along with the associated cost. According to TravelBank, a travel and expense software, Uber and Delta were the two most-expensed merchants during the period from July 1, 2022, through Aug. 24, 2023. American Airlines, Lyft and the Hilton and Marriott hotel chains were also in the top nine. 

Starbucks took the top spot for business meals in 2023, surpassing McDonalds. Grocery and convenience stores entered the top-10 categories for business expenses, perhaps owing to the hybrid-work model that sees people working from their homes.

In 2023, more employees have opted to use their personal vehicles for business travel rather than rent cars. Also in 2023, more workers expensed the costs of personal-entertainment services such as SiriusXM, Audible and Amazon Prime Video. While business travel remains crucial for company morale and team bonding, business-travel expenses are among the most difficult to manage, especially in fully remote or hybrid-work environments, the report found.