The sale of the Knight Ridder newspaper chain may have a big impact in Cascadia. As part of the 32-paper deal, the McClatchy Co. takes ownership of a 49.5 percent stake in the Seattle Times and total ownership of the 23,000-circulation Bellingham Herald and 33,000-circulation Olympian. Add that to the Tacoma News Tribune, which it already owns, and McClatchy is the new giant in western Washington's mainstream media.
Changes aren't obvious yet, but a Seattle Weekly article points out the new clout of the new owners here. McClatchy's new major presence in the area will affect competition and news coverage throughout the Puget Sound region. Time will tell how staffing, budgets and the size of news hole change.