[jerf]

I think the current value of your average newspaper column-inch is close to zero. (Note the difference between "close to zero" and "zero"... but probably not enough of a difference to matter much.)

What I think is the case is that when some papers face the task of generating value, a lot of them will fold, but some of them will find it in themselves to produce good content. Being more directly exposed to the market will almost certainly cull the herd, but I for one would trade the quantity we have now for quality any day.

The fact that we're even talking about this rather proves the point that most of them have nothing of value to offer (recalling that "the media" isn't actually one monolithic entity). If the content were truly that valuable, they already would have locked it behind pay walls and people would be paying for it, as evidenced by the valuable content that has survived exactly that process. The problem here isn't the sanctity of newspapers or our society's undebatable need for them, it's that the market has suddenly heated up and they don't want to have to compete. Sorry, no such luck. It's time for them to stop talking and start doing, if that's what they're going to do.