If you were to talk to Scrooge today, he’d tell you the newspaper as a medium is dying. If you talked to Tiny Tim, he’d say it’s just going through some changes. Some papers are now sharing stories, and some editors are exiting. But one bankrupt newspaper owner might buy himself a holiday gift of — yep — another newspaper. The media’s awkward stage continues!
• The Washington Post and Baltimore Sun are going to begin sharing stories, as of January 1. Robert J. McCartney, the Post’s assistant managing editor, said: “So, if a story broke … we’d talk with the Sun and figure out who was in a better position to send a reporter, and both papers would use that reporter’s story.” [WP]
• On that note, Timothy A. Franklin, the Sun’s editor, resigned yesterday. He’s replaced by J. “Monty” Montgomery Cook, a former assistant sports editor at the Post. [WP]
.• And, Jim Brady, editor of the Washington Post’s Website, resigned today, as the paper merges its print newsroom with its online newsroom. Brady said: “I’m beat up, tired, burned out.” [WP & Washington City Paper]
• The other new trend for newspapers? Selling their homes. The Philadelphia Inquirer and Fort Worth Star-Telegram are some of the latest papers trying to raise money by selling off company-owned property, newsrooms, and buildings. [AP]
• Despite being bankrupt and all, the Tribune Company might buy a newspaper. Right. The Sam Zell–owned newspaper conglomerate is possibly adding the San Diego Union Tribune to its growing list of ailing newspapers, if the move is permitted by a bankruptcy judge in Delaware. Sam Zell is so Citizen Kane and every nice thing ended up burned at the end of that, too. [Voice of San Diego]
