"I don't think our purchasing a newspaper would solve the business problems. It would help solidify the ownership structure, but it doesn't solve the underlying problem in the business. Until we can answer that question we're in this uncomfortable conversation.

I think the solution is tighter integration. In other words, we can do this without making an acquisition. The term I've been using is 'merge without merging.' The Web allows you to do that, where you can get the Web systems of both organizations fairly well integrated, and you don't have to do it on exclusive basis."

--Google CEO Eric Schmidt telling Fortune magazine that he cares deeply about news, as does Google, but that they don't have an answer to solving the new industry's problems (besides admiring ProPublica).

Susan sez: I guess this means they won't be buying the NY Times, and that they run out of high quality content to index and put ads on they will do a cost/benefit analysis and see what the next step is to keep news pumping through their ad network.