The SF Bay Guardian says that the Chronicle and the MediaNews-owned newspapers are downplaying a big story — the consolidation of newspapers in the Bay Area. The Guardian calls the lack of coverage a “blackout.” And with the consolidation of the ANG and former Knight Ridder papers, fewer reporters are covering other regional stories. An example is the Aug. 29 hit-and-run rampage in San Francisco that killed one person and injured at least 14 others. Previously, ANG, the Contra Costa Times and the Mercury News might have done their own versions of the story. Instead, they all used the same story. (The Guardian story contains a couple of errors, which are noted by readers in the “comments” section at the end.)
Recent Peninsula Press Club posts on the subject of Bay Area newspaper consolidation: