MG partner Matt Mansfield, also a senior editor at the San Jose Mercury News, has begun an ambitious rethinking of the venerable Silicon Valley title. The base of the rethink is to use audience research to make some fast decisions about changes in the product portfolio, both in print and online.

Portfiolio recently profiled the effort, calling it "uniquely clear-eyed and transparent" in a piece by Sam Gustin.

"We all look at our slumping circulation and revenue numbers and wonder what kind of changes it will take to grow -- or even keep -- our audience," Mansfield said. "The good news is that we can find out. The answers lie in the people who walk, talk, drive, shop, and read among us every day."

The team is taking a very public approach to its reinvention, complete with a "Rethinking the Mercury News" blog, co-written by Mansfield and investigative reporter April Lynch, and a Facebook group. And as data rolls in from readers (and non-readers), it will be uploaded to a central database available to everyone in the organization, including business, circulation and production departments.

Stay tuned to see the rapid prototypes that come after the initial audience work.