Newspaper's role

The business of producing a newspaper is hurting in a bad way. I make no qualms about that. However, that fact is not a reflection on the important work of journalists. In many ways, I believe newspapers went too far following industry trends over the last two decades:
- Too much online (free)
- Too much pandering to what reader's "want"
Those are two examples. How can a business succeed financially when the content is offered free elsewhere? Second, who cares if readers say they want to read about American Idol and Brittany Spears updates? Journalists have long reported what reader's "need" to know - that needs to remain the emphasis for any future of newspapers.