Connelly nails it again

In the opening pages of his novel The Scarecrow, author Michael Connelly has a scene in the newsroom of the downsizing Los Angeles Times in which an editor tells a reporter who has just been pink slipped:

"The newspaper is supposed to be the community’s watchdog and we’re turning it over to the puppies. Think of all the great journalism we’ve seen in our lifetimes. The corruption exposed, the public benefit. Where’s that going to come from now with every paper in the country getting shredded? Our government? No way. TV, the blogs? Forget it. My friend who took the buyout in Florida says corruption will be the new growth industry without the papers watching."