News-Record.com

The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that many newspapers are dropping their full-time higher education reporters. Charlotte, Providence, Memphis, Montgomery and Savannah are mentioned. (Via Romenesko.)

Coverage of elementary and secondary schools is closer to readers' hearts, editors argue. Higher education, by contrast, generally operates better and involves lots of out-of-town students. So out goes the higher-education coverage. At many papers, the only reporters covering colleges and universities write about basketball and football.

We have cut back some coverage areas, and the decisions were tough. But we're not going to cut higher ed. With seven colleges or universities in Guilford County alone, how could we? Right now, we've shuffled some people around, and our new higher education reporter, Amanda Lehmert, has been preoccupied with Terry Grier's departure. She's been on that because our elementary and secondary education reporter has been on maternity leave, and we -- that is the stupid universal me -- thought that Christmas holidays would be slow on both the school beats.

But the reporter on maternity leave -- Morgan Josey Glover -- is back next week so we'll be at full steam.

Besides, there are too many important stories.