Today's paper is brought to you by a grant from the Ford Foundation.
It seems unreal that an institution driven by the public's quest for knowledge has fallen on hard times. That morning paper, read with a coffee cup in hand, is disappearing from our sight. Not long ago, its cousin, the afternoon paper met a demise fueled by the competition of television news. Now the morning journal is sinking due to the technological marvels of the internet.
Perhaps some relief is in sight as a Senate subcommittee seeks to find a proven measure to save daily print journalism. That measure would let struggling community newspapers become nonprofits similar to local public broadcasting stations. The idea would prohibit papers from making political endorsements but still allow reporting on all issues, including political races. All advertising and subscription monies would be tax-exempt and patron contributions, like public broadcasting fundraising campaigns, could be tax deductible.
This notion is intriguing. Could it lead to a solvent structure for local journalism publication? Or would it create the merging of both public newpapers and public electronic media stations? Or is it the last gasp of an elderly media technology?
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