Google Newspaper Searches

I have reason to track the use of stories by other newspapers. For the last few months, there appears to be a dropoff in use of those stories when I use Google*, though if I do an archive search newspaper by newspaper, that dropoff seems minor or even nonexistent. What I'm seeing is an increasing reference to blogs.

It also appears that Google is using a geographical basis -- it most often points me back to the originating newspaper multiple times but rarely beyond, even though papers elsewhere are using those stories. Google has also started an archiving service so I think what's going on is an attempt on Google's part to be more selective, to produce fewer immediate references to the desired material.

In other words, is Google abandoning or at least limiting newspaper citations for blogs and its own archiving system?