Smell the glove

One of the more fascinating stories in the 24-hour news cycle today had nothing to do with the plummeting stock market, the NFC and AFC championship games or the cessation of hostilities in the Middle East. Nope. It was an Associated Press story on the cover of the Union-Tribune's business section: a 22-incher discussing how newspapers are planning to sell millions of additional copies detailing Barack Obama's historic inauguration.

I thought newspapers were dead.

Then why is the Washington Post planning an "extra" afternoon print edition while boosting single-copy prices from 75 cents to $2 a pop? Why is the San Diego Union-Tribune planning to print an additional 80,000 copies of Wednesday's paper? Why did customers of The New York Times line up to buy editions of that paper outside its headquarters the day after Obama trounced John McCain in November?

According to the AP, sales of the Nov. 5 edition and related merchandise, including a framed front page of The Times that sold for $299, has brought that company a cool $2.3 million.

I wonder if any Web sites are cashing in like that?

Dying industry my ass.