General interest news sources reporting on politics from Washington, D.C., are declining, while specialty publications, especially those serving Washington insiders and lobbyists, as well as foreign outlets, are on the rise, a new study from the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism revealed Wednesday.

In 1985, more than 600 newspapers had bureaux in D.C. As of 2008, that number was down to 300. Meanwhile, specialty newspapers, magazines and newsletters have gone up by half since the mid-1980s. Newsletters alone have risen from just under 150 in 1986, to about 225 in 2007, and D.C.-based foreign correspondents have risen from less than 200 in 1968 Graphic: Pew Research Center to more than 1,400 in 2008, the Pew Research Center's report states.

Last year, newspapers from just 23 of the 50 U.S. states had Washington-based reporters, down from 35 states in 1985, according to Hudson's Washington News Media Contacts Directory, Pew reported. The shift from media reporting for the general public to specialty publications serving "elite interests" means more specialised and more detailed information for smaller audiences.

The business model for some niche outlets is based on pricey subscription fees, while others are financed through "image advertising" from large companies such as oil companies or mobile phone alliances who buy advertising in an attempt to influence government officials, the Pew report stated.

"The poster child of this trend is the daily newspaper, historically the backbone of American journalism, whose robust Washington presence and aggressive reporting has uncovered scandals that toppled a president, sent members of Congress to jail and does the daily job of covering congressional delegations and federal agencies. Since the 1980s, the number of newspapers accredited to cover Congress has fallen by two thirds. The number claiming a presence in Washington generally, according to capitol directories, has fallen by more than half," the report states.

Many top U.S. newspaper companies, such as Hearst and Cox, have decided to close their Washington bureaux, while others, such as Tribune Co., has cut bureau staff numbers by almost two-thirds. Broadcast networks are also suffering. Three have cut staff numbers by more than half from 1985 to 2008, according to The Los Angeles Times.