Count him unimpressed

Jonathan Dobrer is an author and professor of comparative religion at American Jewish University, but the subject of his post today at the Daily News' Friendly Fire opinion blog is the rival L.A. Times. He calls this morning's redesign "this nose job...this elective cosmetic surgery" and rails that "more color with less content is the news equivalent of junk food." Then he turns a bit morose about the future of the paper.

There is less news, fewer stories and little recognition of quality writing. But think of the money they are saving on news while spending it on design and color. The list of writing and analytical talent lost is shocking: from international news to local political writers, from business to sports, from entertainment to opinion, we are left with fewer reasons to buy or read the Times.

A once great paper, with a national and international reputation, is being vivisected before our eyes. The Tribune Empire is being taken apart and sold off for scrap and we are left watching our Los Angeles Times bleed out.

I can only imagine what he thinks of the Daily News.