An Inside Look At Newspaper Cuts

membership ticker

Autocratic forces are ascendant.

Truth-telling independent media is one remaining bulwark against an autocrat’s unrestrained exercise of power. At a time when billionaire owners of corporate media are making accommodations to political leaders, our nonprofit newsroom cannot be bought, bent, or broken. Depend on it, and please stand with us.

Autocratic forces are ascendant in America. But truth-telling independent media is one remaining bulwark against the unrestrained exercise of power. At a time when billionaire owners of corporate media are making accommodations to political leaders, our nonprofit newsroom cannot be bought or broken. Please stand with us.

Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.

I blogged last week with a few updates on newspaper cutbacks, and the Washington Post this week offers an insider’s take on cuts at the San Jose Mercury News. Some readers’ pride in the paper has dropped pretty low (“Personality: The Merc has none”); and their criticism is often harsh (“Most of the articles seem to be written at a 6th grade level at best”).

Make sure to read all the way through for thoughts on the risks of un-fact-checked blog rumors guiding the news.