AdNews approached me a couple of weeks to contribute to their Mouth Off section, responding to the question Should the newspaper industry receive government subsidies? You can access part of the report online here.
Here is the full text of my contribution:
The newspaper industry should live or die by commercial performance. It’s business after all. If you protect them with a subsidy then what about retailers who sell newspapers, would you protect them selling a low margin product? I suspect not – and I’d agree with that.
I doubt that paying newspapers a subsidy would result in better journalism. It is the journalism profession which needs support and not one of the mediums through which journalists publish their work.
What is it we really want? For me it is fearless honest professional reporting. I see that more from mediums outside print and away from sites and Apps connected with newspapers.
With all their freebies, promotions and beat up front page stories, too many newspapers today are less news. There is no sense is subsidising a medium so its proprietor can run a political agenda. One only has to look at the poor quality work in Victoria recently leading to the resignation of the Commissioner of Police to wonder about journalism.
I am against government subsidies across the board as they cloud business decisions and make for an uncompetitive playing field. Just look at the government handout to the TV networks – unwarranted.
I am against subsidies full stop. Business, first home buyers, babies, the lot. Ultimately we all pay for these “subsides”.
Charities and disaster releif are different stories but in most cases subsides only distort the market and lead to lazy inefficientpractices.