Who should own newspapers?

Lots of talk percolating that news organizations have an *ethical* duty to keep newspapers alive. It's an urgent question as revenues decline and bankruptcy looms (Chicago Tribune and Minneapolis Star-Trib are already there).
Some people say foundation endowments are one way to go.
Others look to a new model of non-profit journalism.
Some disagree.
What do you think? Do newspapers matter? Should we be talking about the medium (paper) or the function (gathering and disseminating news)? If this medium dies, what are the implications for citizens? For advertisers? For consumers?

Should news organizations endorse candidates?

TIME magazine's managing editor offers an intriguing question: why do newspapers endorse political candidates?
I'm curious what you think. You are the generation at issue here. What does it mean to you if the Wisconsin State Journal says it thinks you should pick, say, McCain over Huckabee. Take it closer to home. Does it matter who the Herald or Cardinal endorse as the best in the race? Does that kind of endorsement affect how you judge their objectivity or credibility?

AP and Its Members in Conflict

The Associated Press, built on the bedrock of newspapers, is finding itself less tied to them as a revenue stream. At the same time, newspapers are finding themselves looking for a way, any way, to cut expenses. This puts the two in conflict and highlights the economics of this industry.

Ads and Newspapers in One Post

Great intersection of news and strat comm. A cooperative has introduced quadrantONE, a way for national advertisers to push their messages out to smaller local and regional newspaper sites. If you're Miller Beer, you're not going to negotiate individually with the Journal Sentinel, State Journal, etc., to post ads on their sites. The theory is that quandrantONE will give media buyers a chance to specialize without too much effort in contacting individual outlets.
Newspapers are in trouble. Ad revenues are down, as is circulation. Advertisers need new avenues to consumers. No one has figured out a way to truly leverage the Web as a revenue model. Will this work? What do you think?

Moderating Posts

An interesting column by the Chicago Tribune's public editor, Timothy McNulty. A public editor is sometimes called an "ombudsman" at a news organization. They're designed to be readers' representatives on a host of issues involving what goes in the paper and why. The New York Times has a particularly interesting public editor right now, Clark Hoyt. He's ruffled a few feathers, which has been fun to watch.
What do you think of McNulty's point? Should online reader posts be moderated? How can you relate this to your media use? Ever put a "shout out" in the Herald?

A Requiem

An intriguing (and I'll admit depressing) commentary by David Simon in today's Washington Post. He charts the fall of great American newspapers, lining up with this season's arc of "The Wire" on HBO, a show he exec produces.
What does the article mean for those who want to become journalists today? (Hint: I'm far more optimistic than Simon)

"Blogging" vs. "Reporting"

A Washington Post columnist wades into the debate over "what/who is a journalist" with a take on the blogger who tried to "out" Larry Craig. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/05/AR2007090502519.html?hpid=news-col-blog
From high atop his Adams Morgan apartment building, Michael Rogers decides who is living a lie and who may be turning toward righteousness.
Then, with a few words sprayed onto the uneven ground between gossip and journalism, he turns a life upside down. Or he offers absolution, remaining silent if he believes the person in question has a good heart.
This isn't a new debate. Newspaper companies fear losing revenue to the Web and newspaper reporters fear losing readers to it. Bloggers can be a threat.
But beyond that is the more central question Fisher is trying to get at: what is "journalism" and does it deserve higher esteem than blogging?
What do you think? What is it? What kind of regard does it deserve? As I said in lecture, I think challenges to legitimacy are a greater threat to journalism than declining revenues. Are news organizations earning their legitimacy?