The Future of Newspapers, Redux

Back, for a moment, to newspapers: Odds are that the New York Times won't survive 2009, at least not in its current form. (It's carrying a staggering debt load, and has loans due in March with no way to pay them.)

I know that many in the blogosphere (god, what a word) smirk and otherwise condescend when it comes to the Times, but when it comes to in-depth research and quality writing, it's one of the finest newspapers on the planet.

Bloggers can blog about "news" events to their heart's content, but often they're standing on the shoulders of research done by the staff at the Times. Because that's what newspapers do: pay people to do research and write about what they've learned.

Anyway, two new stories worth reading, both of them focusing on the Times. This from the new issue of The Atlantic (which itself, sigh, gets thinner with each new issue...).

And this from New York magazine. (And an eye-rolling "I'm not impressed" reaction to that piece.)

Tip o' the mug to Nieman Journalism Lab for links to the New York piece and Spiers reaction.