Tribune Bankrupt One Day, Engulfed by News the Next

What a difference a day makes for the Chicago Tribune, which yesterday broke the story of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s arrest, and was itself an object of his alleged corrupting intentions—just a day after its parent company declared bankruptcy, the Wall Street Journal notes. “It’s pretty electric right now,” a top editor said of the newsroom atmosphere.

The feds say Blagojevich wanted the newspaper to back off its editorial hammering of him in exchange for helping the Tribune Company execute the sale of the Chicago Cubs and their stadium, Wrigley Field. His chief of staff is alleged to have told Blagojevich the Tribune would play ball and fire editorial writers; the paper denies wrongdoing. (More Tribune Company stories.)