Pittsburgh City Paper's cover story this week takes a whack at the ink-stained/Twitter divide, asking: "As old media struggles, is a new breed of journalists up to the job of replacing it?"

And unlike the Newseum, which essentially ignores the role of good journalism supported by slutty ads, the PCP includes alternative newsweeklies in the mix. And gives---is "props" the right word here?---to our struggles. To wit:

The alternative press isn't exempt. The past decade has seen a wave of increased consolidation in the weekly industry, and at least one chain is now in serious financial trouble. Creative Loafing, which has its flagship paper in the big and growing Atlanta market, filed for bankruptcy this year. The company borrowed millions to buy Chicago Reader and Washington City Paper. Although all three papers were making money, when advertising slowed down, debt payments overwhelmed revenue.

So the scene is wide open for new approaches.

Hear that Newseum? Why don't you find a new approach and build a shrine to us before we're dead.

Another day, another update about the bankruptcy case filed by Creative Loafing, our parent company.

Apparently a judge in the bankruptcy court will announce tomorrow if Creative Loafing's current owners can continue owning us and the rest of the chain, or if Atalaya, a creditor owed oodles (and a firm that also owns Bennigans), will be granted permission to take over.

Here's the money graph from Creative Loafing-Tampa Bay, the home newspaper of the group that bought us in 2007:

Atalaya wants to foreclose on its $31 million in loans given to finance CL’s 2007 expansion and purchase of Washington City Times and the Chicago Reader. That action was blocked when CL filed for bankruptcy court protection under Chapter 11 of the federal code in September 2008.

"Washington City Times"?

Again, this is from the flagship of the Creative Loafing chain.

"Washington City Times"?

Just some recap to get you feeling centered on this Monday morning: Washington City Paper's "Best Of" issue came out last week---it was a whopper, with a readers poll that pulled in 29,000 ballots and a huge editorial hole filled with picks on everything from Best Restaurant to Best Place to Buy a TV Stand.

Weekend weather was a mixed bag, with a wet Saturday and a schizophrenic Sunday. Yeah, I know---you know that. But I am trying to break the mold here, giving weather "retrocasts" instead of forecasts.

And what a snoozer this NCAA tourney is. No parity in that league, whatsoever. Too many blowouts to make for good watching, Villanova v. Pitt notwithstanding. Can't wait for the NBA playoffs, when teams that are well matched hit the hardwood.

Read More "Weekend in Review" »

Representatives of Washington City Paper's parent company, Creative Loafing Inc., are today sitting through what is shaping up like a marathon hearing in a Tampa bankruptcy court, according to Wayne Garcia, a correspondent for our sister paper in Tampa. At issue is ownership of the company: Creative Loafing declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy last fall after falling behind in debt payments to its principal lender, Atalaya Capital Management LP.

Atalaya, which is owed $31 million, is seeking to take control of the company and, according to Garcia, is pledging to invest more heavily in the product if it's allowed to do so. An Atalaya rep, reports Garcia, said his firm "would be willing to spend more money to increase revenues at the newspaper chain, but only if it can displace the current management and ownership....Atalaya would seek to publish 'a quality publication' in order to maximize its investment."

In a moment of sheer irony, Atalaya pointed the court to comments on "blogs" as evidence that workers in the Creative Loafing chain were demoralized. A lawyer representing Creative Loafing objected to the admission of such evidence, and the court agreed to disallow it. So there you have it: The publisher of numerous blogs objects to their inclusion in the court record.

That's Rick Rodriguez, for all you morons who don't recognize the leading lights in the world of journalism. Rick Rodriguez is a journalism professor at Arizona State University and former executive editor of the Sacramento Bee.

Such credentials have landed Rodriguez a spot on the roster of experts discussing the future--or lack thereof--for newspapers on the New York Times Web site.

Rodriguez predicts a time of turmoil in the world of local news coverage, with dailies cutting coverage or folding and new competitors trying to fill the void. "For a while it’ll be the Wild West in terms of journalistic standards, the rise and fall of old and new enterprises and an endless pursuit of new business models."

But he's got good news for papers like this one: "Among the best bets for adhering to traditional journalistic standards will be smaller, already-established newspapers that can expand their local influence. Alternative weeklies and ethnic media mostly will survive, and possibly even thrive by specializing in coverage of fields like entertainment or local politics."

Is Rodriguez keeping up on our bankruptcy?

Talking to Michael Dolan, you get the feeling that maybe anything is possible with an Obama Administration coming in.

"My band played an inaugural ball!" says Michael Dolan. "Being a Washingtonian, it doesn't get any better than that."

Dolan (Gonzaga College High School Class of '68) is a writer of books and TV scripts, and, nearest and dearest to me, a former Washington City Paper writer.

He, in fact, wrote the most famous or infamous story City Paper has ever published, a 1987 muckrake that revealed the video rental habits of Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork. Federal privacy laws were actually changed because of Dolan's piece.

Read More "Ex-City Paper Star Gets Presidential Gig" »

* Miss the debate? Don't head to the live blogs: Head to the live blog of the live blogs.

* G.W. student blog The Colonialist has a couple photos of Dick Cheney being released from G.W. Hospital. He waves.

* Dear China: Wish we could give you some advice on this whole fledgling democracy thing. Regrets, The United States of America. [via Polymeme]

* Via Talking Points Memo: Ayers, Shmayers; even those people who believe Barack Obama is a terrorist are still voting for him. Says one Obama supporter:

"Well, I don't know much about this terrorist group Barack used to be in with that Weather guy but I'm sick of paying for health insurance at work and that's why I'm supporting Barack."

And in this newspaper:

- Photographer Darrow Montgomery and Senior Writer Jason Cherkis document the end of a Columbia Heights relic and ask: Does anybody care?

- Your Reel Affirmations film fest guide.

- In Cheap Seats, Dave McKenna talks race and Redskins. What's black and white and reluctant to integrate all over?

- In Loose Lips, Mike DeBonis does Peter Nickles does Alberto Gonzales.

- and The Sexist launches its Manliest Workplace in D.C. tournament!

Photo by Jason Mogavero

* Seven years later, a Pentagon memorial is unveiled. [Via Washington Post]

* The Examiner asks if we're safer than we were in 2001.

* Via Politico: Republican foreign policy experts don't have much to say on Palin; Obama and McCain call a 9/11 "truce"

* In alterna-9/11 news, Busboys and Poets kicks off the "9/11 Truth Film Festival" this evening at 6 p.m.

* In case you missed it: Check out Brightest Young Things' comprehensive Large-Hadron-Collider-Will Kill-Us-All Doomsday coverage from yesterday, complete with stellar crying baby photo accompaniment. And via DCist: How to tell if the Hadron Collider has destroyed the Earth yet.

* And in this newspaper:

- Arthur Delaney on winning and losing rec centers

- Jule Banville on the long, slow investigation of an Adams Morgan hate crime

- Mike DeBonis on why Kwame Brown loves Love (and the Park at 14th)

- Dave McKenna on the Redskins' struggle to quit smoking

- And our arts & entertainment column, Show & Tell, meets its makers.

* Find your sex & gender roundup over at The Sexist.

Photo by Darrow Montgomery

* Ben's Chili Bowl turns 50, remains more delicious than my parents.

* Liz, the new hater over at why.i.hate.dc, hits on a topic even trolling commenters can agree on: the meter system's bad cabbie fallout.

* Daily Campello Art News introduces you to D.C. artist Chawky Frenn's still life with animal carcass.

* Forget Phelps. BYT gives big ups to the foreigners in Speedos.

* This time in local writer Holly Jones' monthly McSweeney's column, Dispatches from the Anacostia: Gemini gets a new tooth.

* Upset the Setup gets upset about D.C. voting rights.

* Pick up a paper: Our Education Issue gives you the scoops and scandals from six local college rags.

Photo by wfyurasko