Who's that knocking on Sam Zell's door?

Sam Zell's Tribune Co. has hired a team of advisers to help keep it from falling into bankruptcy, the New York Times reports. Tribune owns the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune, among other newspapers.

From the NYT:

Tribune has hired bankruptcy advisers as the ailing newspaper company seeks to stave off a potential bankruptcy filing, people briefed on the matter said.

The newspaper, which was taken private last year by billionaire investor Samuel Zell, has hired the investment bank Lazard and the law firm Sidley Austin, these people said. Tribune has been hobbled by debt related to that sale last year, which has been compounded by the growing drought of advertising for newspapers.

It is only the latest — and biggest — sign of duress for the newspaper industry yet. Several newspaper companies have struggled to cope with declining revenues and mounting debt woes.