Call it the opening salvo of the broadsheet bailout. Castaway columnists and struggling stringers might be America's next charity case if Sen. Benjamin Cardin has his way.
The Maryland Democrat proposed a bill Tuesday that would rewrite tax law to allow newspapers to operate as tax-exempt nonprofit organizations, just as long as they don't make official endorsements of political candidates.
But some media analysts say that could create government control of the news.
Cardin says his bill is a needed step to make sure that small newspapers across the country stay afloat, as scores are expected to close their doors and stop their presses for good.
"We are losing our newspaper industry," said Cardin. "The economy has caused an immediate problem, but the business model for newspapers, based on circulation and advertising revenue, is broken, and that is a real tragedy for communities across the nation and for our democracy."
But critics warn that if papers become tax-exempt nonprofits, they will be ponying up more than the money's worth: they'll be giving up their independence to stay in the government's good graces.
"It would de-claw participating newspapers, which couldn't endorse candidates or freely question the party in power," said Ken McIntyre, a media and public policy fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation - FOX News StoryFirst of all Newspapers are all but over anyways. With 24 hour News on TV and at your fingertips on the Internet is there still the need for the Old Newspaper?
Besides, wouldn't it be a very GREEN thing to do, letting the papers go away. Look at all the trees that would be saved.
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