As Chuck D. of Public Enemy once asked rhetorically, "How low can you go?" The stock of the McClatchy Company, parent of The Sacramento Bee (where McClatchy has its corporate offices, at 21st and Q), "broke the buck" for the first time Monday, and continued to slide Tuesday. The stock finished at 75 cents a share on the NYSE Tuesday, after dipping as low as 66 cents a share. This, for a stock that was valued at $70.90 just four years ago this week. Stunning. So, as Chuck asked: How low can ... davidwattsbarton David Watts Barton 2009-01-06T20:52:55Z 2009-01-06T20:52:55Z

An update: McClatchy stock is today (Jan. 6, 2009) at $1.85, which means if you bought two weeks ago at 65 cents, you almost TRIPLED your investment. Why didn't I think of that?

David Watts Barton 2009-01-06T20:52:55Z David Watts Barton 2008-12-27T21:42:15Z 2008-12-27T21:42:15Z

Yeah, I like Live at Sacbee.com, too. People have been complaining that the new Sacbee.com is even worse than the original, but I have to disagree. It's still not great, but it's quite an improvement. And things like Live definitely enliven it.

David Watts Barton 2008-12-27T21:42:15Z Nicholas Walsh 2008-12-27T20:46:48Z 2008-12-27T20:46:48Z

I also checked out that feature and it seems like it could be very cool. Twitter did this during the debates and its fun to read. I applaud any new innovations in media communication an if its the Bee that is doing it even cooler. Its great to see lots of media people re-thinking the way a newspaper works.

Nicholas Walsh 2008-12-27T20:46:48Z Geoffrey Sakala 2008-12-27T17:01:03Z 2008-12-27T17:01:03Z

I found one interesting and cool feature of the new Sacbee.com. They have a page called Live where they will be live blogging events. The next event will be the Presidential Inauguration and readers will be able to participate in the live blog by contributing messages in real time. It's good to see McClatchy and the Sacramento Bee continue to innovate their method of delivering news and information in new and interesting ways.

Geoffrey Sakala 2008-12-27T17:01:03Z Seth 2008-12-26T14:39:09Z 2008-12-26T14:39:09Z

Hi David, McClatchy acquired Knight-Ridder at the height of an historic home price bubble. That buy pumped up the company’s debt load, growing heavier as the slowdown deepens. The bubble could not and did not last. Before it burst the only question was when that would happen. Like you, I read The Bee daily. I do not recall much if any critical reporting on the housing bubble before it collapsed. I am no mind reader. I know what people do and say. But I do wonder how The Bee’s coverage of this bubble relates to the McClatchy acquisition. If you get a chance, check out Plunder and Blunder: The Rise and Fall of the Bubble Economy by economist Dean Baker (Polipoint Press, January 1, 2009). He recognized the home bubble after former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan’s congressional testimony in 2002. Regards, Seth Sandronsky

Seth 2008-12-26T14:39:09Z