Politics and crime have always been the mainstays of American newspaper journalism. The latter is easy to report on since (even if the cops refuse to cooperate) the relevant documents generally are considered public information, and the former fulfills the newspaper’s alleged role of watchdog–although the ink pols generate isn’t very often of the watchdog variety. So it’s no surprise that congressmen like Kerry want to save the industry from itself. I mean get this:
"Lawmakers are witnessing the crisis firsthand. Press watchdogs who once prowled Capitol Hill are disappearing, replaced by special-interest publications and foreign news organizations."
If they were really watchdogs, i.e. thorns in the politicians’ sides, why would the lawmakers care about losing them? In any case, not even newspaper executives think public financing will stave off bankruptcy for long. Nationalizing them, like some talk of doing for the big, insolvent banks? That might only accelerate their demise, since their role as government mouthpiece would be obvious.
THE TEXAS SCRIBBLER 