Steven A. Smith, editor of Spokesman-Review asks his readers on his blog, News is a Conversation: 'Are we too self-obsessed in our coverage of our pending downsizing?' The question followed this morning's live webcast from the paper's editorial meeting (see the post/webcast/comments here).

According to Mr Smith, who recently visited Oslo, Spokesman-Review is the most open and transparent newspaper in the US (I wrote about his visit and presentation for Journalisten, no direct link available so far). Broadcasting the paper's editorial meetings is just one aspect of what Mr Smith dubs 'the transparent newsroom'.

In these days of media downsizing and resizing, always followed by complaints and conflict, it's refreshing to hear someone ask the question of how much focus this should be granted in the bigger scheme of things, and interesting to read the replies...