Let's say a big company is violating --say-- anti-pollution laws and dumping toxic waste into the river.

Let's say that company also happens to have several execs on the same boards of companies with execs from the newspaper.

Let's also say that it purchases extensive advertising in the newspaper.

How many expository/investigative articles do you expect to see in the newspaper about the company's illegal practices?

If you answered "more than zero" think again. Since the mid-90's, when the Los Angeles Times broke down the heretofore inviolable separation between the News and Sales departments, newspaper after newspaper across the country have been allowing their sales departments to dictate to the News departments what they may and may not write about.

The editorial page may tell you to vote for Nader. But if the City Desk can't investigate the abuses of local corporations due to a choke-hold from Sales, then the paper is not "liberal" no matter how you want to define it.

Alex