Knight Ridder newspapers sold

Knight Ridder, which publishes 32 daily newspapers, was purchases by McClatchy, which publishes 12, the NY Times reported last night. McClatchy plans to sell 12 Knight Ridder papers, acccording to Editor & Publisher.

One thing I can say is that McClatchy has a good reputation as a newspaper owner. While most newspapers have made drastic newsroom cuts - generally at the insistence of ownership - McClatchy papers have not. And they have been successful! In fact, McClatchy papers such as the Sacramento Bee are notable for their ability to increase circulation numbers and actually hire new writers and editors. This is a rare thing in today's newspaper industry.

If you didn't click on the word "notable," I suggest you click here for a chart that shows U.S. newspaper newsrooom staffs have generally declined in size since 1990.

I have faith in newspapers. Changes will have to be made, such as more investment in online divisions. Many newspapers are doing this well. While the future of the traditional print edition is uncertain, I believe print journalism (including online versions) has a secure future.

(Full disclosure: I work for a newspaper in the online department, so perhaps I'm a bit biased. But my paper is owned by neither of the companies mentioned above.)