LA Observed had a chance to interview Sam Zell following a presentation to business school students at the Hammer Museum. Hidden in the story by Kevin Roderick is a telling sentence, "he rejected in one word - "no" - the LAT's aspirations to national stature, saying newspapers are essentially local beasts. He questioned the business rationale for any national paper now and predicted trouble ahead for the NYT."

The article also carries a pledge by Zell not to interfere with editorial integrity and a blast at the "arrogance of journalists."