The deal to sell Knight Ridder closed today. So the San Jose Mercury News is officially on its way to its new owner - it actually has to get sold twice before its over. Its too bad. As a longtime reader, I can see the energy and quality leaking out. The editorial page is a fraction of what it used to be. Its a case of shareholder value and editorial value in conflict. I'm more than a little worried about newspapers these days...we need them, but they don't seem to be able to find the new formula for life in the online world.