Government aid could save U.S. newspapers, spark debate
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Connecticut lawmaker Frank Nicastro sees saving the local newspaper as his duty. But others think he and his colleagues are setting a worrisome precedent for government involvement in the U.S. press.
Nicastro represents Connecticut's 79th assembly district, which includes Bristol, a city of about 61,000 people outside Hartford, the state capital. Its paper, The Bristol Press, may fold within days, along with The Herald in nearby New Britain.
That is because publisher Journal Register, in danger of being crushed under hundreds of millions of dollars of debt, says it cannot afford to keep them open anymore.
Nicastro and fellow legislators want the papers to survive, and petitioned the state government to do something about it. "The media is a vitally important part of America," he said, particularly local papers that cover news ignored by big papers and television and radio stations.
...
Relying on government help raises ethical questions for the press ...
Reading that last line made me laugh. The concept of journalistic ethics is an oxymoron, sort of like “jumbo shrimp” or “honest Chicago politician.” And speaking of journalistic ethics, check this out.
Should we begin demanding the "separation of media and state?"
Ace of Spades
Why not? They're bustin' their ass for Obama; shouldn't Obama put them on the
payroll?
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