And You Thought 2008 Was Tough

Backstage: "In many ways, 2009 was a yearlong echo of 2008. The recession that began last year may have ended, but unless you work for Goldman Sachs, you probably didn't notice. Meanwhile, so-called 'new media'—a moniker that as time passes sounds more and more like it was invented by somebody's grandpa—continued to imitate a fast-moving glacier carving a canyon across the old-media landscape. Nearly every major story of 2009 sprang from these two reservoirs, already well tapped in 2008. But at the very least, this year was no less interesting than the one it followed. Here are 10 reasons why."