A widely disseminated article by 247wallst.com, a financial news blog, that lists 10 newspapers likely to fold or go all-digital in 2009 is notable locally for one reason: The Arizona Republic isn't on it.
The alleged analysis of the health of major newspapers left the state's largest newspaper off its list despite the toilet-swirl of Gannett stock prices and recent layoffs.
Of course, such top-10 lists -- even when re-published by a major magazine -- are nothing but attention-getting ploys. The "24/7 Wall Street" blog included itself on its list last year of the 25 best financial news blogs -- you've gotta take these things with a grain-elevator of salt. Executives at several of the newspapers on the gloomy top-10 list dispute the half-assed methodology used by the blog's writers.
Still, it's a fact that many daily newspapers face potential death in the digital era. It's possible some of the papers on the list will, in fact, be gone by the end of 2009.
As for the Gannett-owned Republic -- well, neither this year nor next will be a picnic.
