Charlotte Observer editor Rick Thames in an internal e-mail message to his staff:

"In case anyone is wondering, I truly believe this is a great day for the history of The Charlotte Observer. I couldn't be happier about the outcome. ...

"I know the past few months, especially, have been very difficult for everyone. And unfortunately the anxiety continues for the KR papers that will not become McClatchy papers. But I am very pleased that this newspaper's future is now coming into focus.

"Never in my career have I seen a braver, bolder bunch than all of you. You stood tall throughout this ordeal, never relenting in your commitment to journalism, to your colleagues and to this great region. I am so grateful for that. I sincerely thank you." Philip Meyer, a journalism professor at UNC Chapel Hill and author of The Vanishing Newspaper: Saving Journalism in the Information Age":

"Overall this is good news. Consolidation lowers distribution costs and leaves more money to invest in the actual product." More importantly, "it makes (the News & Observer) part of an organization large enough to make the radical experiments needed to take newspapers into the internet age."

He said that as news distribution becomes more electronic than print, small media companies will increasingly compete for online news readers, especially as the cost of owning and maintaining expensive printing presses and fleets of trucks becomes a thing of the past.

"We're headed for a hybrid product that may include some print, but probably not daily."

"If newspaper owners don't invest vigorously in experimentation, somebody's going to come out of left field and take that business away."

Richard Cole, dean emeritus of UNC Chapel Hill School of Journalism and Mass Communications:

"Knight Ridder was a wonderful company for many years. In a sense it's always sad to see one company bought by another. But I'm glad it was McClatchy because It's a splendid company and will serve the public well. Still, it's kind of like Taiwan buying China."

He said McClatchy's tightly guarded ownership means it can disregard potential calls from Wall Street to slash its new properties to maximize cost savings. Rather, McClatchy should, over time, increase the resources available to these papers, he said.