One thing he failed to mention as perhaps the most critical element that contributed to the decline of print news was the heavy-handed liberalism that reached effortlessly from the editorial pages to the "news" pages. Is it any wonder normal Americans so easily abandoned print news and opinion when the kind of news and opinion they instinctively prefer could be easily accessed elsewhwere?
"Elsewhere", of course, was Rush Limbaugh and talk radio, followed by Fox News and, ultimately, the internet.
Sure, the abandonment of print news was likely destined to happen anyway, but the profound Democrat/liberal bias of the print news certainly hastened that abandonment. And naturally, advertising dollars followed the crowd.
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"I accept my share of the responsibility for placing the Times in this predicament," Martinez wrote. "But I will not be lectured on ethics by some ostensibly objective news reporters and editors who lobby for editorials to be written on certain subjects or who have suggested that our editorial page coordinate more closely with the newsroom's agenda ..."
- Andres Martinez (former editorial page editor of the Los Angeles Times)
One should also recognize the important contribution of deadly dullness.
British newspapers, for all their problems, are far better written and lively than those in America.