Journalism 'Reinvention' Smacks of Government Control, Critics Say

FOX News ^ | Published June 02, 2010 | By Joshua Rhett Miller

[Behind Liberal Lines]

A list of potential policy recommendations to reinvent the field of journalism that has been compiled by the Federal Trade Commission is a "dangerous" overreach of power and a waste of taxpayer funds, critics of the project told FoxNews.com.

FTC officials began a project in May 2009 to consider the challenges the journalism industry faces in the digital age. The federal agency recently released a discussion draft titled "Potential Policy Recommendations to Support the Reinvention of Journalism," a 47-page document that outlines a major government push to rescue the country's flailing media platforms -- specifically newspapers, which have seen advertising revenues drop roughly 45 percent since 2000.

Among the numerous proposals mentioned in the document are:

-- the creation of a "journalism" division of AmeriCorps, the federal program that places 75,000 people with local and national nonprofit groups annually;

-- tax credits to news organizations for every journalist employed;

-- establishing citizenship news vouchers, which "would allow every American tax payer to allocate some amount of government funds to the non-profit media organization" of their choice;

-- increased funding for public radio and television;

-- providing grants to universities to conduct investigative journalism;

-- increased postal subsidies for newspapers and periodicals;

-- a 5 percent tax on consumer electronics, which would generate roughly $4 billion annually, to pay for increased public funding.

But some critics are voicing concerns about the draft document, saying that if the government has any influence over the Fourth Estate, it could lead to a dizzying web of conflicting interests and the eradication of independent journalism.

"I find it dangerous for government to have a role in speech because the government gives and the government taketh away," Jeff Jarvis, an associate professor at the City University of New York's Graduate School of Journalism, told FoxNews.com.

[Army Air Corps]

a 5 percent tax on consumer electronics, which would generate roughly $4 billion annually, to pay for increased public funding.

So, more people get to pay for public broadcasting which damn few people use. More "spreadin' da wealth".

[Army Air Corps]

When dealing with Progressives, keep in mind that they love to play games and nit-pick on fine points. The Progs will argue that that passage only applies to Congress and the FTC isn't, technically, Congress. Ergo, in the Prog mindset, this is acceptable.

[GSWarrior]

This has nothing to do with “bailing out” journalism. It’s about establishing a communication wing of the Government in order to compete with new forms of media.

[Tzimisce]

No! You’re kidding me?

A bunch of socialists want to take over the journalism business? Who would have guessed.

Thank god there is nothing in our Constitution stopping such a take over. :)

Oh wait, the first amendment....well thank god it doesn’t apply to liberals. :)

[Major Matt Mason]

It isn't up to the FTC to "re-invent" journalism. The profession must re-invent itself. Have we ever had a bigger bunch of control freaks in our government than at this time?

[bamahead]

"I find it dangerous for government to have a role in speech because the government gives and the government taketh away,"



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[kbennkc]

Have we ever had a bigger bunch of control freaks in our government than at this time?

They are well matched with a media willing to allow the government to control the content in exchange for exclusive access.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Thank god there is nothing in our Constitution stopping such a take over.

You mean the Constitution that will be interpreted for years to come by federal courts packed with Obama appointees? That Constitution?

Moreover, like most other aspects of life (look at what happens to colleges that take federal dollars...or the use of existing health care laws to regulate everything from smoking to seat belt use), once the organizations take the government money, the government will have contractual rights to censor material under the guise of protecting its financial stake in the program.

[Red Badger]

The Congress has given its power of legislation, i.e. rule making, to the various commissions and departments of the federal bureaucracy since the 1930’s. Therefore, that “passage” applies to them as well.............

[Army Air Corps]

Tell that to the Progs. They are a screwy bunch.

[Tzimisce]

And then there is that, yes...:(

[secretagent]

"It's too soon to give up on the market, which is what the FTC is doing..."

Its always too soon to give up on the market. "The market" is just another way to say "sphere of non-coercion".

[Gondring]

No...first and foremost, Americans are less literate now. That’s why conservative newspapers have been disappearing first. If it were mere bias, the more liberal papers would have been the ones to die in Denver, Cincy, Houston, Philly, etc.

[Gondring]

Most people don’t care about news. Most of those who do care want accurate news, not propaganda.

Concise and correct.

[Gondring]

establishing citizenship news vouchers, which "would allow every American tax payer to allocate some amount of government funds to the non-profit media organization" of their choice;

Oh joy.... taxpayer dollars going to produce stuff that people don't want (or they'd buy it themselves and there'd be no need for this.)

[SuzyQue]

"I find it dangerous for government to have a role in speech because the government gives and the government taketh away," Jeff Jarvis...

Nah, don't worry about it. Look what government "support" of science has done for science. No, wait, isn't that where gorebal warming theory came from. OK, maybe that was a bad example. Or not.