Some commentary now on the news (reported here Aug. 11) that MediaNews Group got the money to buy the Mercury News and other papers in the form of a loan from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, General Electric Capital Corp. and other corporations. Rick Anderson of the Seattle Weekly writes in his blog: “What does it say about the dinosaur newspaper industry that the world’s richest man is investing in it?” READ
Gates probably thinks that for a small investment to him, he can put the mouthpiece of Silicon Valley on a leash. And he’s probably right.