Love the idea on the front page and it's executed smartly... great job JB... at first I thought they were maybe going a tad overboard for what the reader might really care about. But this isn't just about the Merc, it's about Knight-Ridder going away too. It's one of the area's major corporations and philanthropic organizations. The coverage I've seen is innovative and thorough. I would also note that it's being largely led by Matt Mansfield, who is sitting in for a vacationing biz editor, and Kevin Wendt, the former news design director turned assistant business editor.

You're right, Bill. I think we all know readers can be pretty proprietary about "their newspaper." Especially if it gets bought by an out-of-town company.

Also, eagle-eyed viewers will also spot, in that front-page photo, Jonathon Berlin (far left), Kevin Wendt (third from left) and, I believe, Shraddha Swaroop (pink V-neck).

Bill and Mark: Thanks for saying all that. We have been working pretty hard here to balance our own intense interest against the community's interest, never an easy task.

We are getting a lot of feedback from readers, ranging from "hang in there" notes (which are just wonderful) to people sad about what this means for the charitable giving gap created by the Knight Ridder sale to really perceptive notes about how we can now better understand (and cover) the plight of so many Silicon Valley companies.

And, yes, Mr. Berlin, Mr. Wendt and Ms. Swaroop are in the front page image. Hey, it was the best picture. What can you do?

I have to agree with Bill ...... I've been struggling for a couple of days about the presentation of certain newspapers across the US who were owned by Knight-Ridder.

How much does the reader really care? Would an A1 box/reefer saying the sale happened, when it would be executed and how it would affect the reader be best?

But the KR sale affects the Merc market the most because of its large downtown presence (HQ) and the Silicon Valley plight.

Again, I think outside of the Merc, it's a great debate on how much our readers really care about newspaper sales.

"When is too much .... too much?"

If any Knight Ridder paper outside of the Merc gave it Merc-style coverage, I'd consider it excessive, for obvious reasons.

But I don't think having a story on A1 (although a centerpiece would be a bit much) for any other KR paper would be too much. People want to know who owns the paper and where they're coming from. If you look to the sale of Pulitzer to Lee Enterprises (particularly the concern over editorial leaning in St. Louis), a decent number of people care.

Does the average reader care? I doubt it, but as a public service to the readership as a whole, I think it's worth an A1 mention that the paper is or will be under new ownership.

Any chance for PDFs of those pages? I'd love to see 'em bigger....

Doug,

Done.

Can i get the pdf's too please?

whoops emails kghadiali@hotmail.com

Khushroo,

I added a link to the PDF in the post.

thanks Mark

Local ad exec planning bid for two Philly papers
Former top ad executive Brian Tierney is assembling a bid to buy The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Philadelphia Daily News, which are on the block again in the wake of McClatchy Co.'s acquisition of parent company Knight Ridder. Tierney claims to have in hand more than $100 million in commitments to form an ownership structure resembling that of the community-owned Green Bay Packers NFL team. Editor & Publisher

I've got to hand it to the Merc. Just excellent coverage of the KR sale. Classic Merc presentation and stories as every staffer tries to sort out what it means for their own futures. Pure professionalism at its finest. I'm proud to say I'm a MN alum.

Cheers to that.

Yeah, it's Merc all the way. Damn, makes me wish I worked there. Good job, guys and gals.

Even though this is just what you'd expect from the Merc, it's simply inspirational. Quality journalism on all fronts that shows what the MN does consistently best - anticipate the news and push for smart editing from all corners. Hats off to the crew there, who do indeed excel at managing more than just visual journalism, and well wishes for what comes next.

Thanks to the three former Mercury News standouts who have written such gracious things, and to the many others from whom I have gotten e-mails and calls. The Merc, as an institution, really does inspire a certain level of storytelling and occupies an ambition role in the American news design landscape. I am proud to be a part of it, and prouder still of the staff here for delivering on that ambition with their usual skill and finesse as we see what's next.