Where journlalists rank on the food chain

Latest numbers from Pew say 28 percent of Americans surveyed say journalists contribute "a lot" to society's well-being.

Nice to know that's still above lawyers and "business executives." (That last category includes publishers, doesn't it?)

The highest ranked: Teachers at 72 percent and members of the military at 78 percent. (Yet another argument for arming journalists?)

In all seriousness, Phil Meyer got it right in "The Vanishing Newspaper" when he said this industry's only true business model comes from selling influence (and by implication, trust and respect). Right now, my sense is that a lot of execs just don't get that. It's time to do less with less, not more with less, but do what you do well. Stop the hubris of thinking you can do it all, or even most of it. And be prepared for the long haul; when there are a bunch of idiots around you, it takes time to slog through the mess and stand out.