Newspapers matter...but I wouldn't care if mine went out of business

That stunning contradiction and more in this series of items about the news business.

There is no unifying theme to the aforementioned items, except perhaps for this: No one is quite sure of the economic model needed to ensure the health of the newspaper industry that also ensures retaining the high quality Americans have come to expect from this critical institution.

I come from a broadcast background, and my outbursts of dissatisfaction about that industry stems from my firm belief that it can do a better job of covering real news. But you would be a dolt to suggest that the broadcast news and Internet industries can sustain the kind of journalism our democracy demands. Neither television nor the Web can deliver the depth and number of stories the print industry can.

But when talented writers, editors and others exit the industry (voluntarily or otherwise) for other careers, the health of American society suffers.