Kopel: Bias not killing newspapers

The News' (conservative) media critic:

'Final Edition." The words that could appear on the Rocky Mountain News in a few weeks. After nearly 150 years, what has brought the oldest business in Denver to the brink of destruction?

Some words I've never written before, but they are apt now: Mike Littwin is right. The notion that media bias is the main cause of the newspapers' troubles is ludicrous.

The real reasons? Nothing surprising: Subscription price (way up), ad revenues (way down), people too lazy to read--check out this kind and gentle graf:

More and more people are so intellectually lazy that reading one romance novel per year is too much effort. It's a stretch to imagine that the reason such cretins don't subscribe to the Rocky is that, for example, they noticed its science coverage is too credulous about environmental panic-mongering.

Well. But the "real killer"? Craigslist, of course. Read whole thing, but I still think bias should be in the mix.

Update: From two papers to none? Post owner: we need to cut $20 million, now:

The Denver Post Publisher William Dean Singleton on Friday asked unions at The Post and Denver Newspaper Agency to reopen their labor contracts immediately, saying he needs to slash expenses by $20 million.

"We all know the financial situation is not good in the newspaper industry - he referenced that and requested we begin bargaining (next week)," said Tony Mulligan, a spokesman for Denver Newspaper Guild Local 37074. . . .

Singleton's request comes a day after Moody's Investors Services said his MediaNews Group faces an increased risk of defaulting on its loans, and a week after E.W. Scripps announced it was putting the Rocky up for sale and seeking an exit to the DNA's Joint Operating Agreement. Moody's downgraded almost $1 billion of MediaNews debt.

Update II: Funny, the Post doesn't seem to have the story.