These are some of the things that have caught my attention lately. It’s a more eclectic mix than just the news business, but then so’s life:

• The importance of maintaining confidence | Weaken the sinews | The Economist – "[P]oliticians ought to think twice about spreading despondency. That is the media’s job."
• Don’t Blame the Journalism | American Journalism Review – "As newspapers shuffle toward the twilight, I'm increasingly convinced that the news has been the least of the newspaper industry's problems. Newspapers are in trouble for reasons that have almost nothing to do with newspaper journalism, and everything to do with the newspaper business."
• Reporting Africa: Angry Folk | Lara Pawson unstrung – "There are so many good stories, so many important stories, which remain untouched. For example … the fact that in Angola – predicted to become on of the world’s fastest growing economies – the government is carrying out forced removals on a par with Zanu-PF’s much-publicised policy, including shooting at children (a four year old boy was shot in the leg two weeks ago). How many people know about the persecution of journalists in the Gambia, a country with a dire political situation and yet tourism continues with great success?"
• It’s not the stupid economy, newspapers | Reflections of a Newsosaur – Newspaper ad sales didn’t just go the wrong way in 2007. They have been declining steadily since 2001, when the economy suffered the twin shocks of 9/11 and the tech collapse. Even after the economy rebounded in 2003, newspaper sales consistently trailed the growth of the gross domestic product…
• Hard To Find The Silver Lining; Possibilities Include Bankruptcies, Funding Woes | Lauren Rich Fine – Given how many start-ups were chasing an ad supported model, this might be a positive for the companies that have secured financing over the last few years as they might be able to catch their breath and build a business with a sustainable model.
• The Paulson Plan – Opinion | Bloomberg.com – "If Paulson or congressional leaders devise a Plan B, they should look to the example of Fortis, Belgium's biggest financial-services company. This week, the governments of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg invested 11.2 billion euros ($16.3 billion) in Fortis. In exchange, they got ownership of almost half its banking business.

  That's how a government intervention is supposed to work."