Invisible Inkling

Ryan Sholin on the future of newspapers, online news and journalism education.

All About knight-ridder

Mercury falling

[NOTE: What follows is a view of the last two years of trouble at the San Jose Mercury News from my personal point of view, as a graduate student in the neighborhood, a reporter (and later as an editor) working for the same parent company, and even as a reader. I don't pretend to [...]

Billionaire Burkle is my kind of newspaper tycoon

If you haven’t been following the saga of the Knight Ridder orphans, the 12 newspapers back up for sale after being purchased by McClatchy, you’re missing a great show.
Early last week, the LA Times reported that the bid backed by billionaire Ron Burkle might be the frontrunner in the race to buy some or all [...]

Who Needs Ink? A panel discussion on the Future of Newspapers

Commonwealth Club event at San Jose City Hall: Who Needs Ink?
Who’s here?

Ex-Mercury News tech writer Dan Gillmor, currently of various citizen journalism initiatives
Jerry Ceppos, ex-Knight Ridder news executive (and Merc alum)
Peter Appert, a Goldman Sachs analyst
Joan Walsh, Salon’s editor-in-chief
Jim Bettinger, communications prof from Stanford (and Merc alum) is moderating
And about 60 audience members…(It is [...]

Department of Justice looks into Bay Area media future

While two Minnesota Reps. are questioning the antitrust implications of McClatchy (briefly) owning both the Minneapolis Star Tribune and the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the Department of Justice has apparently been busy questioning Grade the News director John McManus about what would happen if MediaNews bought the Bay Area ex-KR papers.

Silicon Valley gazillionaires all pass on the Merc

Thanks, but no thanks, say New Media moguls and other companies and individuals with money to burn. The LA Times says no Silicon Valley moneymakers are stepping up to buy the San Jose Mercury News … then again, the LAT article doesn’t say much, but there are more links and commentary on the Knight [...]