Cash-Strapped Papers Take Scribes Off Trail

The decline in the number of writers attached to presidential campaigns is “striking,” the New York Times reports—with only five newspapers trying to follow the candidates full-time. With per-person travel costs at $30,000, or more, a month, cash-strapped outlets are choosing not to foot the bill. The cost, some observers say, is that readers have fewer perspectives available.

One professor isn’t that torn up: “I’m not sure too much is lost. What’s the advantage of being the 50th guy on the bus?” Bloggers have rushed to fill the void, relying largely on YouTube footage and on conference calls engineered by the campaigns. Still, "we'd all like to be able to be out there,” said a grounded USA Today scribe. (More election stories.)