It isn't a shock to hear that the newspaper industry is still struggling, but there are signs things are getting even more problematic. On Saturday's Melissa Harris-Perry, the panel will discuss the future of the industry, the persistence of sexism in the newsroom, and the Koch brothers' potential bid to buy the Los Angeles Times.
In a statement delivered Friday to msnbc, Koch Industries offered comment on the reports. The statement read, in full: "As an entrepreneurial company with 60,000 employees around the world, we are constantly exploring profitable opportunities in many industries and sectors. So, it is natural that our name would come up in connection with this rumor. We respect the independence of the journalistic institutions referenced in the news stories, but it is our long-standing policy not to comment on deals or rumors of deals we may or may not be exploring."
What do you need to know about what the possible takeover of a major newspaper by two of the biggest players in conservative politics might mean? The best overview of the state of the media at large remains the Pew Research Center's annual report, which covers everything from audio to newspaper to television. Things still don't look good; employment and revenue continued to decline in 2012, and digital delivery systems for information and entertainment have stolen millions of readers. Dailies like The Plain Dealer in Cleveland are reducing their home delivery to cut costs amid layoffs.
Why would conservative billionaires want to buy into a losing industry? You can read New York Times corporate media reporter Amy Chozick's story from Sunday, and Garance Franke-Ruta wrote at the Atlantic about why it might prove difficult to create a major new chain of conservative newspapers.
Watch that discussion and more tomorrow at 10am ET with guests such as Chozick, Nation sports editor Dave Zirin, Demos distinguished fellow Bob Herbert, "On the Media" host and managing editor Brooke Gladstone, and msnbc.com Managing Editor Dafna Linzer.