Ron Schenone

‘Journalism Needs Government Help’ Says Opinion Piece At The Wall St. Journal

Posted by on Jul 14, 2010 | 8 Comments

This morning I read an opinion piece over at the Wall St. Journal in which the writer was trying to explain why journalism needs a bailout from the government. The article was written by Lee Bollinger, who states that without government help, we citizens would not get any real news. He seems to feel that the outsiders from foreign news media would give us only biased news articles.

He goes on to state:

The idea of public funding for the press stirs deep unease in American culture. To many it seems inconsistent with our strong commitment, embodied in the First Amendment, to having a free press capable of speaking truth to power and to all of us. This press is a kind of public trust, a fourth branch of government. Can it be trusted when the state helps pay for it?

It makes one wonder where Mr. Bollinger was during his history classes. Freedom of the press is the key to keeping the public informed about issues that can impact them. Having a free press has insured that the newspapers can print the truth no matter who might get hurt. This would be undermined if the government were paying the press, no matter what Mr. Bollinger thinks.

Besides, I thought that paywalls were going to save the newspapers?

Comments welcome.

You can read what else Bollinger has to say, but hurry. A paywall could go up any day.

Source – WSJ

  • Bruce

    I cannot think of anything more hideous than the American press accepting government money. Welfare always comes with strings attached and I’m sure censorship of articles pertaining to government related stories would be the foremost string (the old “don’t bite the hand that feeds you” syndrome).

  • leftystrat

    Would not get real news?
    We’re pretty much there already.

    • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

      We have been for a long, long time.

      People should just listen to what you and I have to say and they will have the truth! LOL

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  • Candi

    Ron,
    Who doesn’t need a bailout? We are strapped with high taxes that the American public requires a bailout! We’ve said “NO” more bailouts! They haven’t listened.

    The FCC and Obama was told that the internet was off limits. The Supreme Court, I can look up the decision if necessary, stated that it was against our Constitutional Rights for them to control the internet.
    Obama had Pole Cat and her merry band of thieves to construct a new bill (law) to provide him with the right to violate our freedom of speech. They did. Haven’t you noticed?
    I post to news items…poof gone, my voice silenced by a unconstitutional law and what has turned out to be a very aggressive suppressing government. We are controlled and mediated daily.
    There is a movement to remove these people out of the government. Show patriotism and unity by voting in November.
    YOU MUST DO YOUR HOMEWORK when voting! They are sneaking back on the ballots as independents so be educated when you go to the polls. (If we even have another fair and free election.) More and more attacks come from this congress and president when it comes to our freedoms. The right to vote in a fair election is on the front burner and “new” rules have been formed and put in place.
    It’s going to take Americans to come together or come late November or late December we could be in Civil War.
    Don’t fall for their divide and conquer! If you look at most of what is being reported, you can find the sources to prove them to be lies. Ergo, why should we believe anything in the news?
    How many politicians does it take to create the truth? Just one, Obama, the rest falls into line!
    Send ‘em home boys n girls. I want my internet back!
    I adore you folks here at Geeks! Thanks for allowing me to post.

    OH! Come January 1, 2011…you paychecks deductions will be over 50% of your check right now. They are trying to add more taxes on to us right now. So you do make a difference, as long as we stick together!
    Remember, Obama believes in 100% taxation! Google Dreams from my Father by BHO…he’ll tell you himself. :(
    Bless you all!

  • D

    Used to be in the business…off and on for about 20 years. With the “Net”…freedom of the press means that US newspapers have been lazy to come up with a business plan for the day they’ve finally seen coming at them at 1000 Mph. What they really want to to keep their business model intact and not to change.

    Personally…I gave up on the American press during bush’s administration. The reason…they did anything/everything to appease those in power. Rather than provide their traditional role of an independent voice…they bent over backwards to run whatever the administration wanted. I discovered that reading/listening to foreign (non-US) news…I got a more balanced view of what was happening. The whole world is not the US…no matter what the US press would have you believe.

  • oldwolves

    Hah! Like the newspapers don’t work for the government already. If people don’t read them they fail and close down. If the government owns them, it’s all propaganda. You would think people might have learned something when the press helped Obama get elected for free. Now they’ll get payed by our taxes to lie to us. Great country we live in .

  • SpiffSlalom

    Not just “no”… F*** NO!!!!

    Totally unconstitutional on SOOOOOO many levels!

    And I agree with D – you get better, less biased coverage from foreign sources