Since I didn't see anyone making an entry on this, I did a quick look on the new owners of
Knight Ridder- the MaClatchy Group.
I don't know what they would do with their new media empire, but I have a feeling they won't be inviting Rush Limbaugh to their Christmas dinner anytime soon....
I did some quick digging and here are some of the things I found.
- The McClatchy family, which includes the owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates, vote blue
- The McClatchy's apparently enjoys clean water, which I think is safe to say is a good thing :-)
- The McClatchy's took up environmental causes. In 1870:
The Bee's editor was also an environmentalist. By the late 1870s, hydraulic mining bored into the sides of hills in Northern California and was leaving tremendous amounts of refuse on rich farmlands and in rivers. McClatchy noted the drain of California's natural resources and battled against destructive methods. After seven years, he was successful in limiting harmful mining operations, and he turned to investigations into methods of conserving natural resources.
I don't know how the McClatchy group will operate their newspapsers, but I think there is some room for cautious optimism.
One more thing, if you starting hearing from the Cons about how printed media is a thing of the past, remember the resurrgence of AM talk radio.