In the News: But Why?

In my handy law.com newswire email this morning, I learned that a law firm in Texas is raising associates' pay. Shocking! This same story has been running over and over for months, albeit with a different law firm (or firms) named each time. The story even begins, "Like associates at a number of other Texas firms, associates at Dallas-based Gardere Wynne Sewell and Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr are getting raises." Yawn.

The story appears ahead of a piece on the $9 million in punitive damages that Merck was hit with. I don't understand.

Can someone tell me why this is news? Please? Can't we just have a story headlined "All law firms (eventually) give associates raises" and be done with it?