A bailout for news? (Dinosaur Media DeathWatch™)

St. Petersburg Times ^ | April 11, 2010 | Eric Deggans

[abb]

For most old-school journalists, the equation is simple.

Public disdain for reporters — ranked slightly above used car salesmen in one public poll — combined with a need to stay independent from the government as watchdogs, equals a situation where we can't take money from the government to survive.

But there are some other numbers to consider: 5,900 full-time newspaper journalism jobs disappeared last year, according to the Project for Excellence in Journalism, with one-third of newspaper newsroom jobs gone since 2001. Newspaper advertising revenue dropped 22 percent in 2009, according to the PEJ.

The historic way of funding great journalism in America — bankrolling newsrooms through the sales of real estate, auto, retail and employment ads — is disintegrating. Which means journalists must once again confront an uncomfortable issue: Do the news media need a bailout from the government to save journalism?

"If these institutions go away, will it be impossible to build back some alternative?" asked Tom Rosenstiel, director of the PEJ, which is part of the Pew Research Center. "If something precious is irretrievably lost, you may have to move in sooner."

On Tuesday, I'll explore this issue in Washington, D.C., at the national convention of the American Society of News Editors — moderating a panel featuring a journalist, newspaper publisher, government officials and lawyer in a discussion titled: "Can government save us? And do we even want to try?"

John Nichols, Washington correspondent for the liberal magazine Nation and co-author of a book advocating government subsidies called The Death and Life of American Journalism, thinks so. Noting a media universe increasingly crowded with information but decreasing in journalism, Nichols fears a future where reporting on local and state government vanishes.

He and co-author Robert McChesney have suggested a few government-funded antidotes: boosting subsidies to public broadcasting outlets such as National Public Radio and PBS; a tax credit for the first $200 citizens spend on a daily newspaper; or tax incentives for owners of debt-laden media chains who sell their newspapers to local owners.

"The Founding Fathers strongly supported postal subsidies and printing subsidies," Nichols said. "If Rush Limbaugh wants to say this is a typical liberal running to government … I'm like those liberals who founded the American system and thought the government was so powerful it had to have journalism to keep it in check."

A study released in January by the University of Southern California found that in 1970, the U.S. Postal Service covered 75 percent of the mailing costs for news periodicals, totaling $2 billion. In 2006, that subsidy fell to 11 percent, or $288 million. Federal and state tax breaks for newspapers and magazines total more than $900 million.

"If the government has supported the news industry for all of American history, shouldn't it consider new forms of support now, when the survival of news businesses is in doubt?" wrote the study's co-author David Westphal, a former McClatchy Newspapers editor and senior fellow at the school's Center on Communications Leadership and Policy.

But Paul Tash, editor, chairman and CEO of the St. Petersburg Times, opposes direct subsidy of newspapers while noting that government might help indirectly — by allowing the public to make tax-deductible donations to newspapers, for instance.

He criticized the industry for being too fatalistic — incorrectly connecting the problems of big newspaper chains struggling to pay off massive debts in the worst economy since the Great Depression to the death of local journalism.

"This can still be a very vibrant business," he said. "We're here to make government's life miserable. ... To be subsidized by government seems to only invite compromise."

Conservative columnist Michelle Malkin echoed that view back in 2008, writing: "A press beholden to the ruling class — a press that cannot stand on its own two feet and the strength of its product — is a press better off dead."

The nation's current political polarization makes substantial or direct aid for journalism seem a long shot. But given how long it may take to see if media rebounds after the general recessions ends — one expert said up to 18 months — it may be time to start drastic discussions now.

"I'm maybe a minority opinion, but I don't think getting government into (supporting) the content creation business is a disaster," said Rick Edmonds, a media analyst for the Poynter Institute, which owns the St. Petersburg Times. "But the details are important."

Eric Deggans can be reached at (727) 893-8521 or deggans@sptimes.com. See The Feed blog at blogs.tampabay.com/media.

[abb]

Begging has become a noble profession.

[abb]

ping

[Brookhaven]

This is the fast track to a government owned and run media.

[abb]

http://blogs.tampabay.com/media/2010/04/how-bad-must-media-decline-before-federal-support-looks-like-a-good-idea.html
How bad must media decline before federal support looks like a good idea?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/12/business/media/12carr.html?ref=todayspaper&pagewanted=all
Defending the Papers He Fought

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/12/business/media/12pew.html?ref=todayspaper
Poll Finds Pessimism Among Print and Broadcast Journalists

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/12/business/media/12copydesk.html?ref=business
Copy-Editing and Page Design, Done Far From the Hometown

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/12/business/media/12adco.html?ref=business
The Incidental Video Screen Is Seen by More Viewers Than Prime Time

[Da Coyote]

“”I’m maybe a minority opinion, but I don’t think getting government into (supporting) the content creation business is a disaster,” ...”

Yes, we have successes such as Social Security, Amtrak, the Postal Service, Medicare, Medicaid, etc - all profitable (heh!) and all showing the expertise and talent of those in “public service”.

There’s a reason government officials are in government and not doing real jobs.

And there are many reasons that “journalists” will soon be out of jobs.

[bert]

Accepting subsidies will not happen because they will never be provided. The Senate will not allow them

[GeronL]

I almost didn’t pass the “great journalism” remark.

Wow, thats all we need government-funded daily papers in every city. Not that they would act any differently than they do now.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

The Project for Excellence in Journalism

Perhaps if there was more excellence in journalism there would be more jobs for journalists.

[Gorzaloon]

Perhaps if there was more excellence in journalism there would be more jobs for journalists.

And they could start by remaining standing and keeping their knees together every time they get a White House Press release.

[ccmay]

“Not that they would act any differently than they do now.”

That’s what I was thinking. It’s hard to imagine they could be any more servile towards the Democrats than they are now. Perhaps with subsidies they’d give the Republicans the same kind of supine bootlicking when we were in power.

[Eagle of Liberty]

I have been saying for a few years now that Big Journalism will be on the list of bailout recipients simply because the DEMs NEED them to stay in business in order to get their message out. But, honestly, look for many newspapers to lend paper space to the DNC for large campaign ads, paid for by the Obama Stimulus.

[FrankR]

I know the internet plays a good sized role in the demise of the print media, but you can't lay all the blame there. Even in this electronic age, I still (used to) enjoy sitting down and reading the paper...call it tradition, I don't know.

But living near Atlanta, I'm stuck with the "Cynthia Tucker Newsletter", formerly known as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and her daily diatribe on how much she hates white people. I won't buy it, I won't even read a free copy anymore...it sucks. Everybody who works there is an obama suckup.

Our local paper is just as bad. They've been running an ongoing column the past few weeks called "Republicans Records", but nothing but flowers and lollipops for the local democrats.

The local news is like watching B.E.T., on every channel...I really find it odd that - to them - no white people anywhere are making ANY news, except those that Emmanuel Cleaver is accusing of racism. So what else is new, right?

So, I'm pretty much done with them, too. Same with the "network" news and their "how can we skewer obama NON-supporters today" routines.

Magazines, for the most part, are no different.

If the government bails them out, I don't see how they can get much more pro-socialism, pro-communism, pro-obama, or pro-democrat than tney already are...but I would suggest they take a real, close look at GM since they became "government owned"...sales are in the toilet.

But the biggest question they have to ask themselves is, what good is getting government money to stay in business to just support the government, WHEN NO ONE WILL READ THE DRIVEL?

Without reader/viewer/listenership, the media is a tree falling in the forest, and no one is there to notice.

So media, if you really want to run your pittance of an audience you have left over to FOX News and talk radio, just become Pravda...and you'll see.

[GeronL]

don’t hold your breath

[abb]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0410/35649.html
Google CEO Eric Schmidt’s advice for American Society of News Editors

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/451310-Another_Nail_in_the_DVD_Coffin.php
Another Nail in the DVD Coffin
ABC putting show commentary feature online

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/organgrinder/2010/apr/12/newspapers-future-online-authority
Newspapers: the future

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/11/AR2010041103933.html
The Pulitzers and the future of journalism

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-ap-us-tec-google-newspapers,0,3731461.story
Google chief executive tells media group that newspapers will find new business models online

[Texas resident]

I’d bet that their bailout (takeover) is included in the medical industry takeover bill. They took over student loans in it.

[abb]

http://newsosaur.blogspot.com/
Digital ad share at newspapers hits new low

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-04-12/showdown-at-abc/
Showdown at ABC

http://www.cnbc.com/id/36405589
News execs pessimistic, but don’t want handouts

http://www.newsguild.org/index.php?ID=8802
Buffalo News seeks 23 to take buyout, including eight in newsroom

http://www.newvoices.org/campus?id=0089
Can the campus paper keep up with the blog?

[abb]

Here’s a whole passel of articles in this mag.

http://www.amacad.org/publications/daedalus/fall2009/contents.aspx
The Future of News

[Opinionated Blowhard]

Do the news media need a bailout from the government to save journalism?

LOL. Oh, please, stop!!! You're killing me with these jokes!!

[Huebolt]

If the govt. published a newspaper that NO ONE READ, would they just keep on a publishin' it?

(insert "does a bear shit in the woods" jpg here) >>

[Buckeye McFrog]

nothing makes my day like getting a junk-mail solicitation from the New York Times with a pre-paid reply envelope included....