News publisher MediaNews Group has emerged as a candidate to buy Knight Ridder, an elite U.S. newspaper chain, says a source.
It’s a potentially volatile mix, when comparing the respective views about the Internet. Knight Ridder was among the first of the nation’s elite newspaper publishers to follow the flow of advertising dollars online.
Meanwhile, MNG has a reputation for buying ailing papers and cutting costs and staff in order to stop the bleeding, which leaves little room for the spending needed to maintain an elite Web site. Also, its Internet sites have so far played a secondary role in the company, so far.