Newspapers: Death Rattle

In recent years, rumors that the New York Herald Tribune would fold have appeared with more regularity than the paper. Last week the stories seemed closer to being true than ever before. As a result of the 16-week strike that has silenced the Trib since it became part of the merged World Journal Tribune Inc., an estimated three-quarters of the Trib's key staffers have drifted away to other jobs; the rest have now been quietly advised to start looking elsewhere. At week's end, W.J.T.. President Matt Meyer said that the Trib's fate will be decided within a few days. This week the newspaper strike will become the longest in New York history, and killing the Trib can only make it longer, since all ten unions (nine of which have settled) will have to renegotiate their contracts.