Mike Hoyt of Columbia University writes that last week, Columbia Journalism Review hosted an illuminating panel discussion on the future of daily newspapers, sparked by RobertKuttner's cover piece in the current issue. Participants were media investor Steven Rattner, who took a dark view; Jim Brady, editor of washingtonpost.com, who talked about innovation and the unknown; former Philadelphia Inquirer editor Amanda Bennett, who outlined the particular problems of mid- to large-size dailies; Jill Abramson, managing editor of The New York Times, who discussed the digital revolution in her own newsroom; and Kuttner, co-editor of The American Prospect, who sees rays of hope for the dailies despite their difficult situation. Nicholas Lemann moderated the discussion.

Here's a link to the audio version (CJR will post a transcript later this week):
http://www.cjr.org/issues/2007/2/NewspaperPanel.mp3.mp3 [1]

And one to Kuttner's piece, titled "The Race":
http://www.cjr.org/issues/2007/2/Kuttner.asp [2]

Meanwhile, Mike says CJR has posted Julia Klein's current article about the many ways that newsroom labor is losing
ground:
http://www.cjr.org/issues/2007/2/Klein.asp [3]

-- bill densmore