2008 may be the year that we saw the passing of an era. For the last several years, PR professionals have followed the occasional news reports of staff cuts at the nation's large and small newspapers. We have known that we are experiencing change in American print journalism.

Yet for the last several years even as staffs were cut, someone has always been at the end of the phone when we called a daily paper with a pitch. That "someone" was usually a senior beat reporter who managed to use their 20 years' experience to know a good story, report and write it to fit into an ever-shrinking news hole. My admiration grew for the daily miracle of thoughtful, well-written pieces by experienced newspaper journalists.

But it may be that we remember 2008 as the year when it all changed. As buyouts and cutbacks thin the ranks of American journalism, we are witnessing the loss of some of the nation's most knowledgeable print journalists. Lawrence Downes recently commented in the New York Times, "As newspapers lose money and readers, they have been shedding great swaths of expensive expertise."

I'm sure you can create your own list of names. Growing numbers of senior reporters, editors and columnists are leaving mainstay dailies like the Washington Post, The New York Times and the McClatchy papers. Reporters undergoing reorganization at papers like the Wall Street Journal and USA Today are being reassigned to entirely new beats or double beats. The shift is sudden and increasingly dramatic.

To fill the gap, remaining editors are turning to freelancers, or dropping coverage altogether. As one top section editor of a major national newspaper said when asked by my colleague if someone on the editor's staff might be interested in a client's story, "Staff? I have no staff. I have two people and a bunch of freelancers."

This shift is changing the content of stories that Americans read. Editors are often forced to set aside well-researched stories on tough topics to increasingly cover the expedient stories that are written quickly on short turn-around. Recently a 10-year major industry reporter said to me, "Sure, I think this is an interesting story, and it should be covered. But it will take me three days to research and report, and my editor won't let me take that much time any more."

What does it mean for our clients who rely on us to help them to participate in thoughtful dialog on issues that are critical to them? How do we have a dialog when the most experienced journalists are no longer there to chronicle the discussion?

Certainly new media, the catalyst for this evolution, is part of the solution. Clients will always need to engage with their stakeholders, and many see a boon in the ability to have that conversation with customers directly, without journalistic filters. We at our firm are always delighted when we see company leaders willing to risk open, honest dialog with customers in creative new ways — they are almost always handsomely rewarded for their transparency.

For some clients it is time to rethink traditional media roles. Who says you can't create and distribute your own content? What do you and your client have to offer in this brave new world that people want to know? The barriers to entry are surprisingly low, and the potential is yet unknown. Create it!

And for those clients and PR professionals who, like me, believe a story in a national daily newspaper is still a gold standard of PR, it is time to do what we do differently. Now, more than ever, we need to help our clients understand what journalists need to do their jobs, rather than perpetuate the myth that they are vending machines for stories on demand. We need to do our best to help reporters get good stories written:

• Remember in this environment even the best reporters don't have time to connect many dots. Connect them, research them, summarize them and offer links to supporting material.
• Don't just talk about your client's best attributes; provide direct access for journalists to see those attributes being demonstrated.
• And remember that the number of stories making it into print is shrinking — offer up your best and leave the routine press releases to online distribution.

Last month I happened to catch a veteran Washington Post reporter on the day that she and her editor took the buyout. When I jokingly asked, "Who am I gonna call now?" she only half-jokingly replied, "Beats me. We were just sitting around the newsroom speculating that it won't be long before there is no one left to pick up the phone when you guys call." While no one yet believes the Washington Post will disappear, it was a jolt to the system. The good news is that she will continue occasional freelancing. The irony? She's going into PR.

Julia Weede is a Vice President and national media strategist for VOLLMER Public Relations in New York and Texas. VOLLMER is a leading U.S. public relations firm that specializes in integrated, results-driven strategies and tactics.