Typewriter sales and service shops in the Manhattan phone book:
341 (1961)
320 (1986)
25 (2011)
Computer sales and service shops in the Manhattan phone book:
0 (1961)
74 (1986)
300+ (2011)
Minority group employees (black, Hispanic, Asian, Native American) in newspaper newsrooms:
400 (1968)
3,400 (1986)
5,324 (2011)
Percentage of women on the mastheads of the five largest-circulation US dailies:
0 (1961)
15 (1986)
23 (2011)
Number of daily papers in the US:
1,761 (1961)
1,676 (1985)
1,387 (2009)
Number of unattributed quotes in a single issue of The Washington Post:
36 (July 26, 1961)
106 (July 30, 1986)
11 (July 27, 2011)
Numbers of households with cable in thousands:
725 (1961)
38,170 (1985)
62,874 (2009)
Students enrolled in undergraduate journalism programs in thousands:
10 (1960)
83 (1985)
205 (2009)
Average salary of an anchorperson in a top-25 market in thousands (2011 dollars):
$84 (1961)
$240 (1986)
$118 (2011)
Number of Arpanet/Internet-connected computers:
2 (1969)
3,500 (1986)
660 million+ (2011)
Rate at which Arpanet/Internet traffic doubled in months:
21 (1970-1982)
9 (1983-1997)
6 (1997-2006)
Approximate cost per megabyte of computer memory (2010 dollars):
$38.6 million (1960)
$378 (1986)
$0.014 (2010)
Sources: ASNE, Audit Bureau of Circulations, Editor and Publisher International Yearbook, SNL Kagan, The Washington Post, Annual Survey of Journalism and Mass Communications Enrollments, RTDNA, Hofstra University Annual Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Computer History Museum, Data Processing Technology and Economics, JDR Computer Products, Newegg.com
Alysia Santo is a former assistant editor at CJR.