All the President's Newsmen

With the proliferation of news on the Internet, Americans aren't supporting their local newspapers. Circulation and ad revenues are way down, while web readership—where the news is likely to be free and up-to-the-minute—is way up. Technology has changed the game.

But for those who see a connection between American democracy and the demise of the newspaper industry, it's time to get the government involved to save the news business.

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) has introduced the Newspaper Revitalization Act, a bill that would allow newspapers to operate as nonprofits and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) warns of the "serious consequences for our democracy" if his hometown paper, The Boston Globe, goes belly up. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has publicly argued for an antitrust exemption to save the San Francisco Chronicle, a paper that has long supported her political career. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) recently argued that "If Congress does not act...a major city in the United States will be without a newspaper in the fairly near future."

Washington can give newspapers tax breaks or generous subsides to keep them afloat. There are many ways of extending the life of a terminally-ill by forcing onto life support. But why should the government support an industry that consumers are rejecting?

"Most of those supporting a newspaper bailout were also critical of the medias behavior in the run-up to the Iraq War," says Reason senior editor Michael Moynihan. "Now imagine the reaction if the very same journalists wrote the very same stories about Iraq in 2002 but were reliant upon the Bush administration for their survival."

For audio podcast, iPod-friendly, and HD versions of this video, along with links to relevant articles and other videos at Reason.tv, go to http://reason.tv/video/show/787.html

Correction: The dollar amount of proposed new French tax subsidies to newspapers is misstated. The correct amount is $800 million.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• newspaper
• bailout
• jack schafer
• slate
• michael c. moynihan
• freepress
• robert mcchesney

[Monty1994]

we didn't bail out the buggy whip industry and look at what happened. we still have yet to recover. We let the ice delivery men go under and now we have no ice. we let milkmen disappear and i haven't had milk in 25 years. don't even get me started on our inability to act for the silent film industry. we are socially responsible for saving every industry or job EVER created, whether or not they are supassed by better technology or means of doing them.

now pay your taxes.

[poopstreek]

"Beyond the question of how much these bailouts will cost tax payers, it is difficult to imagine reporters subsidized by the government maintaining journalistic independence." @ 4:18

That is the most important statement in the whole video.

[felpaluche]

Certainly sold to the idea.

[tommo1313]

i have to pretty much agree with the top two comments and i'm quite liberal.

[anryth]

how about we let the free market determine what people want and not some bureaucratic feeding off tax payer dollars deciding what he thinks people should get. if the newspaper industry goes under than so be it, people obviously dont want newspapers. let those resources and capital be reallocated to productive parts of the economy.

[dogbishop]

Who in their right mind thinks that news organizations will be able to provide fair coverage when politicians are holding the purse strings to those organizations who are charged to "hold them [the politicians] accountable"? Politicians are nothing other than self-interested and manipulative. This concept of government bailouts to the press is extremely dangerous, and a truly "free" press, free from government interference, was known to be crucial even to our Founders 200+ years ago.

[PoliticalMe]

Thanks ReasonTV for this and the other useful information you provide regularly (on the Internet).

Printed newspapers are about as useful toward helping citizens be responsible, informed pursuers of freedom of the human spirit as billboards are useful in helping motorists be safe drivers on roadways.

[erickthegreat98]

way of the future, way of the future......

[kyleb2112]

Well they won't have to think up a name. The Ministry of Truth works just fine.

[scott04la]

The death of newspapers is a good thing, we don't need more progressive, liberal leaning and inept reporting. This is the whole reason we have an idiot for president - the media adored him.

[feawen0751]

True journalism has been dead for a long time. If Edward R. Murrow were alive today, he'd be the first one calling for an end to the travesty of what is being called "journalism" or "news" but is, in fact, a megaphone for the corporate entities that bought up almost every news organization to neuter any independent reporting that doesn't suite their agenda and political alliances. R.I.P. Newsprint.. you died long ago and we've waited too long to have the funeral.

[xelenty]

'Newspapers have a vital role in keeping corporates and politicians to account'.. LMAO!!