Really? You're blaming this on a strike from, what, 13 or 14 years ago? This is all about that, and not about a changing industry and a nation's economy being in the toilet?
This is much bigger than Detroit. Newspapers nationwide haven't had the luxury of being "greedy" for some time now; they're just trying to stay alive. Seattle, Denver and Ann Arbor have lost papers already and many more are on death watch. Both Chicago dailies are in bankruptcy. Chicago!! Are they in that situation because they suck, and their management is greedy, and they don't do quality investigative journalism, and they treat their unions badly, and the papers are thin, or any of those other red herrings being thrown around here?
No, it's a simple reflection of the economy - advertisers have pulled out because they don't have the money to spend. End of story. Readership is higher than ever [[online) but adverising revenue is down. People reading the news for free online, or even paying 50 cents for a print copy, don't pay the bills.
Of course, the Rush Limbaughs and Kwame Kilpatricks of the world are singing alleluia because it means fewer chances they'll be called out. Sad.