Predictable consequences

With the decline of journalism, so goes democracy - that's the opinion of Washington Blade editor Kevin Naff.

Indeed, the answer to the second part of my question is already emerging. When media companies cut journalists from the payrolls, our democracy suffers. From local businesses and politicians operating without scrutiny to President Bush launching a war based on lies, the ramifications of media cutbacks are painfully clear to anyone paying attention...

Naff acknowledges the rise of blogging, but points out that even the vast blogosphere has failed to fill the void left as the US newspaper industry self-implodes.

...we’re already seeing the consequences of a diminished press, including Sarah Palin’s refusal to grant interviews (supplicant journalists are even agreeing to the McCain campaign’s odious practice of confining reporters to pens at rallies and barring them from interviewing supporters).

The question is, how do we fix it?