David Carr, the New York Times' media columnist, takes a look at the debilitating war in San Francisco, between New Times' SF Weekly and the Bay Guardian, pegged mostly to a visit in SF with the latter’s founder, Bruce Brugmann:

Once New Times arrived, a ferocious newspaper war ensued, with charges and countercharges. SF Weekly produced deeply reported articles with no particular political point of view, while The Bay Guardian stuck to its progressive knitting, hacking at the power companies and the daily newspapers.

“They came riding into town out of Tombstone,” Mr. Brugmann said, alluding to the fact that the chain is headquartered in Arizona, “and they started shooting up the place, and now they are going to have to pay the consequences.”

The column offers nothing new on the long legal battle that ensued, but it links to a well-reported take on the fight, from the Seattle Stranger.

New Times, now thirteen papers strong, stretching across the country, and renamed as Village Voice Media, wound up with a $15 million judgment grown to $22 million as appeals go on. (New Times has been losing them consistently.)