Congress gets in on the action
by Adam | October 17, 2009 | KLAMP | Comments Off
Anyone who has worked in an office on Capitol Hill knows how much the elected members value the “press.” The small staffs inevitably include some combination of Communications Director, Press Secretary, and lowly, underpaid Press Assistant. Thus it hardly comes as a surprise that members of Congress are waking up to the fact that the demise of local newspapers will have a major impact on their ability to educate their constituents about their numerous achievements.
Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), chairwoman of the Joint Economic Committee, recently held a hearing entitled “The Future of Newspapers: The Impact on the Economy and Democracy” (full disclosure, I was a JEC staffer from August 2007-May 2008).
Lesser known representatives recognize that the local paper is one of the easiest and most efficient methods for reaching their constituents. The New York Times will likely survive but that will only ensure that a handful of high-ranking and powerful politicians will be able to gain meaningful and regular news coverage.
House members may be in the business of promoting their own agendas but they also understand that the “fourth estate” is an essential component of a fully functioning democracy. They rely on the local newspapers to raise issues for them to address and to help keep them in check.
Rep. Maloney also highlighted the fact that the industry’s struggles have contributed to the rising unemployment figures in this nation – a point that often gets overlooked in the more meta-focused discussion on the role of media in our society.
To her credit, Maloney has taken concrete steps to ameliorate the situation by introducing “H.R. 3602, a bill which will enable local newspapers to take advantage of non-profit status as a way to preserve their place in communities nationwide.” (Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) has also introduced a similar bill).
I am personally unwilling to take a stand at this point in the debate on the viability of non-profit models but I can say that I am looking forward to the debate on the subject at the upcoming Yale Law and Media Program’s Conference on Future Business Models (Nov. 13th & 14th).
Noted scholars, such as Bruce Ackerman and Ian Ayres, have advanced a similar idea – while battling the likes of media entrepreneur extraordinaire Steven Brill.
I believe that it is still too early to tell what will and will not work going forward but at least we are truly beginning to have this debate in earnest. We all agree that the unemployed journalists and struggling media companies need some fresh ideas.
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