Bailing out newspapers is an absolutely terrible idea. This could corrupt or destroy the concept of a free press. The press has always played a special role in this country. It is the watchdog of the republic. It is a check on the government. It reports on the actions of the government – the good and the bad. The government can only be accountable to the people, if the people know what the government is doing. The First Amendment states “Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom...of the press”.
If the press receives money from the government, it becomes indebted to the government. The press is seriously compromised. The government can use the power of the purse strings to influence and control what the press reports. The press needs to be independent if it is to be believed.
If a newspaper can not produce a product that people are willing to buy, then it needs to fail. It will be replaced by a news organization that can succeed. When the government, in anyway, influences or controls the news, the news becomes propaganda.
No comments:
Post a Comment