A real-life drama in the land of Hollywood

13th Nov 2006, 08:39 GMT

Imagine a newspaper that enjoys a monopoly hold on one of America's top media marketplaces, a paper of real depth and influence that breaks major stories two or three times a week and regularly rakes in Pulitzers and other top prizes. Imagine, moreover, that the paper is a reliable cash cow, bringing in a 20 per cent profit margin on annual revenues of around $1 billion (£520m).