We were watching the new Peacock sitcom “The Paper,” set at a once mighty, now struggling Toledo newspaper, loosely inspired by The Blade. A chunk of the newsroom staff slipped in after their shifts to nurse pale ales and catch the premiere. “The Paper,” in bits and pieces, does capture some of the real Blade. I was that Blade reporter, and I declined the assignment, not politely. The Blade staff I spoke to at that party felt similar unnerving circumstances: They wanted to stay inspired, despite the uphill reality for journalism in 2025.