• NY Times, Thursday, December 8, 2005 7 PM

Despite a drumbeat of negative news about the present state of the newspaper industry and prospects for its future, the fact of the matter is that most newspapers still earn a profit, some a sizable one. Among the most profitable big papers are those owned by Knight Ridder, the second-largest newspaper company in the U.S., in terms of circulation, behind Gannett. Which is why media observers will watch with interest in the next several days as preliminary bidding begins for KR. The company owns 32 newspapers in U.S. cities, including Miami, Philadelphia, and Kansas City. The New York Times, in a piece today, offers an analysis of newspapers' ability to trim costs and compete in the digital age. Conrad Fink, who teaches newspaper management at the University of Georgia, says, "There's a fear that this is a dying industry, when in fact it's an industry that has an unrivaled mandate."

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