The Crisis of Consolidation in Bay Area News Media

THE CRISIS OF CONSOLIDATION IN BAY AREA NEWS MEDIA
[SOURCE: Grade the News, AUTHOR: Philip J. Trounstine]
[Commentary] The core counties of the San Francisco Bay Area -- Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara and the contiguous portion of Solano County – have a population of about six million people. In addition to their seven county governments, they include scores of cities, towns, sheriff’s and police departments; school boards, planning commissions, municipal and superior courts; universities and community colleges; water, solid waste and air boards; transportation commissions and public utility, weed-abatement and mosquito control boards, and many more government bodies. In this region, one newspaper company -- MediaNews -- owns or controls every paid-subscription daily newspaper except for the San Francisco Chronicle. Should the San Francisco Chronicle become a part or party to this news consortium, coverage of virtually every level of government, education, sports, criminal justice, arts and business would be in the hands of one organization with a single set of principles, perspectives and purposes.
http://www.gradethenews.org/commentaries/Trounstine.htm