“When discussing media, if someone says, ‘let’s take the case of the New York Times,’ say ‘Let’s not.'”
Someone (David Carr?) recently reminded readers that the Times is sui generis. Almost nothing that applies to the Times can be generalized to the newspaper business as a whole. It is bigger, more national, has a stronger subscription base, has more national ads, and has a more advanced digital team than any other newspaper. Using the Times as a stand-in for all newspapers is like using Babe Ruth as a stand-in for all baseball players.