Two weeks ago John wrote about the problems facing newspaper publishers. Now some in the industry are asking for a government bail-out.

Columbia Journalism Review – September / October 2007:

Journalism is a rare business in that its product—news—has a public-service function, but unlike other public-service activities, like public education or scientific research, it is not protected from market forces by government support. So when the financial viability of the news business is threatened, so too is the press’s role as the fourth estate. “I don’t think there’s any question, legally or constitutionally or theoretically, that journalism is a necessary public good for our constitutional system to work,”

Citizens need news even if they’re not willing to pay for it, and newsgathering is expensive. “Clearly, journalism’s role of informing citizens is crucial to democracy,”

If market forces have become unfavorable to the press, the question becomes, how do we support this essential institution of democracy?