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Bob's avatar

Some people seem concerned that news could be sponsored (that is, paid for) by sources other than the reader. Sources like public money, or the taxpayer, or the government. And, presumably, that the source of revenue would affect the objectivity of the reporting.

I'd just like to point out that news traditionally has always been paid for largely by sources other than the reader. In years past, newspapers derived the bulk of their revenue from advertisers — that is, local and national businesses. Even today, while advertising revenue has decreased, it still provides about half of newspapers' revenue.

I find it interesting that public money used to fund news outlets is a concern among some, but there's no concern about business sponsorship.

(What would Fox News be without the My Pillow guy and testosterone supplement funding? I mean, what can go wrong when the My Pillow guy is funding your news through advertising?)

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Tanya Goldstein's avatar

I am pleased with this bill, and I wish there could be a national version. Corporate welfare? Well, yes, in a sense, but I would rather my tax dollars go to local journalism than oil companies and factory farms, for example. Ideally, we pay taxes so our elected officials can use them to do public good, and the founding fathers thought so highly of a free press that they enshrined the right to have it in the Constitution. I would like to know what guard rails there are to keep the press truly free even though they are getting these tax breaks, because what politicians give, they can take away. And newspapers will probably never make enough money to buy a congressman the way other industries do.

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