Serious attention should be paid to daily newspapers going online only. The fundamental interdependence upon technology and economics of other news sources are part of what makes them less reliable. Many examples exist in recent history that prove that a newspaper’s ethical credibility relies on a direct and unhindered relationship between the reporter and the audience. If daily newspapers realign themselves to exclusively digital, as the Seattle PI did, there would be many avenues for the relationship between the audience and the reporter to be obstructed. For example, if there were a large scale crisis, a situation where news would be almost imperative, all of the news outlets could be dismantled from an otherwise protracted event. Having news sources that are not as centralized and as dependent upon economic, governmental and industrial infrastructures is one way to ensure that people can still get the news, and that people can get it in a more accountable way where their news source is an accessible entity within the community. To downsize the Seattle PI staff, for example, may reduce the accountability of the paper due to the lack of journalists, hence the lack of whistle-blowing about ethical concerns such as corporate or political coercion. The New York Times reports that a former mayor, and former police chief are now on the staff. The Seattle Times reports that Hearst’s president, Steven Swartz, said the Seattle PI will be, “a new type of digital business with a robust community news and information Web site at its core.” But how does he propose the organization will be a part of the community when the majority of the staff do not work there? Community involvement can not be done with such a ratio of journalists to people.

The Seattle Times
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008871618_seattlepi17.html

The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/17/business/media/17paper.html

We live under a government of men and morning newspapers. ~Wendell Phillips