Saving our "free" press

Benjamin L. Cardin, Democrat from Maryland, proposes to "rescue" the newspaper industry.  He wants to do it by making newspapers more like NPR.  Non-profit and taxpayer supported, NPR has been a reliable agent for liberal public relations since its inception.   Senator Cardin candidly offers this piece of reasoning in support of his idea in today's Washington Post.

'The Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism reports that a typical metropolitan paper runs 70 stories a day, counting the national, local and business sections. In contrast, a half-hour of television news includes only 10 to 12 stories. Research shows that broadcast news follows the agenda set by newspapers, often repeating the same items with less detail. And newspaper reporters forge relationships with people; they build a network, which creates avenues to information.'

Unquestionably, the agenda that newspapers set over the last eight years has been very, very good to Democrats, and Senator Cardin would like to keep it that way.  They've done very well with the big papers setting the agenda.  Unfortunately for many newspapers, their blatantly biased message has turned off so many advertisers and subscribers that they are going bankrupt.  The Senator's plan to remedy this offers no federal subsidies, but it does offer the next best thing -- non-profit tax-exempt status.  That is, provided that newspapers abide by a few simple rules. 

'My goal is to save local coverage by reporters who know their communities, work their beats and dig up the stories that are important to our daily lives. Today, newspapers do that job; all other outlets -- TV, radio, blogs -- feed off that base. My bill would allow newspapers -- if they choose -- to operate under 501(c)(3) status for educational purposes, similar to public broadcasters.

Under this arrangement, newspapers would not be allowed to make political endorsements but would be permitted to freely report on all issues, including political campaigns. They would be able to editorialize and take positions on issues affecting their communities. Advertising and subscription revenue would be tax-exempt, and contributions to support coverage or operations could be tax-deductible.'

Our "free press" would remain free -- free from market forces, and free from those punishing consumers who have away of voting down commercial enterprises that don't offer useful and dependable products.

What they would not be freed from are incumbent senators and congressmen.  News articles critical of incumbents like Senator Cardin would be called "political endorsements".  News organizations daring to stray from orthodoxy would be threatened with loss of tax exempt status.  It's sad to say, but I doubt that the Washington Post would have any problem with that, although in this proposal the Post would be ineligible.  But we could look at this as a pilot program.  If incumbents can successfully muzzle the small guys there's a better than good chance the program will be expanded.

Into the darkness we go.