I told Howard Owens yesterday that I was seriously considering declaring RSS reader bankruptcy: Clicking through everything just to get “rid” of new items, which have been nagging and growing since last week.

But, guilt got the better of me, and instead, I spent a good chunk of this morning going through all of them and my e-mail (also woefully behind on that) – here are a few gems I dug up: 

Convergence Makes Headlines at Collegiate Publications (UCLA Daily Bruin)

The trend toward media convergence and the use of user-generated content is trickling down to college publications, The University of California-Los Angeles’ Daily Bruin reported. “The editors of [The Daily Bruin and the University of Iowa’s Daily Iowan] said the primary challenge in integrating a television station into a newsroom environment is the additional collaboration and teamwork required.”

Wired Journalists Web Site Launches (WiredJournalists.com)

A new site geared toward journalism professionals, students and educators launched this month. The goal of Wired Journalists “is to help journalists who have few resources on hand other than their own desire to make a difference and help journalism grow into its new 21st Century role,” according to the site. The combination blog and social networking project is led by Howard Owens, Ryan Sholin and Zac Echola. 

If the Journalism Business Model Fails, Should Government Step In? (TechCrunch)

“When the business model of ‘real journalism’ fails, what should society do in response? When things are considered important, but can’t be supported with a business model, government sometimes steps in. National parks, highways, police and national defense are all examples,” TechCrunch’s Michael Arrington wrote. “Should print journalism be next?”

Arrington wrote his blog entry in response to a column in the Boston Globe by Ralph Whitehead and responses from other bloggers.  

Arrington concluded, “The idea is both dangerous and absurd. For Bollinger, who is a free speech advocate, to even consider the idea suggests he hasn’t thought through the consequences of the government financing the press. Freedom of the press is one of the most important checks on government. If they’re paying the bills, the press is no longer independent.”

L.A. Times Investing in Online (Local Onliner):

Although The Los Angeles Times and other Tribune Co. newspapers have been going through some cutbacks, the Times is continuing to invest in online, Local Onliner blogger Peter Krasilovsky wrote this week. “But when it comes to online, the company is positioning itself for rapid growth, and is committing resources to do so. Already, online accounts for 9 percent of the company’s revenues, which is slightly above the industry average. And this from a website that –editorially speaking — has been roundly criticized even 16 months ago as being the most undernourished online newspaper among the major U.S. titles,” he wrote.

I’ll have much more in the Online Publishing Update* tomorrow morning.