Last week, the Social Security and Medicare Trustees released their 2010 reports on the financial status of both programs. Last Friday, we offered an analysis of the Trustees’ Social Security projections. We also recently looked at CBO’s interpretation of the effect of health reform on the long-term. This paper will focus on the Trustees’ projections for Medicare.

The District of Columbia, containing a wealth of intellectual capital, national political institutions, and expansive support for innovative industries is well positioned to develop a healthy information ecology in the digital age. Washington’s high concentration of leading political actors, paired with a high volume of influential information hubs, maintains a supply of and demand for information. Within its 61 square mile area, the District of Columbia hosts hundreds of media outlets transmitting news to the rest of the world.

Washington, D.C., has 41 print publications (including newspapers and magazines) varying in circulation, focus, political leaning and days of distribution. The print media is defined as locally headquartered news organizations with a heavy focus on District related news. The Washington Post, The Washington Times, The Washington Examiner and the Express account for over 60 percent of the total circulation in the area.¹ By this study’s estimations, print media in D.C.

The District of Columbia has 15 television stations with the majority privately and/or commercially owned. Television stations included in this study are all based within the D.C. area and service areas including metro D.C., Maryland and/or Virginia. Of these, two are public television properties: WETA and WHUT. Between them, WETA and WHUT are served by 230 working journalists.