Geneva Overholser and Geoffrey Cowan argue in today's LAT on the op-ed page for a government bailout for journalism. Newspapers need a new business model, they rightly argue, but a government takeover or government-supplied capital isn't it. Newspapers need to find a product for which people will pay, either directly or through advertising.
Sadly, people in the newspaper business seem to see themselves as victims (of President Bush and Sam Zell, many would argue.) They write and report as victims. Editorials and columns consistently and repetitively lambaste the Bush administration, free-market capitalism, open markets, free trade, etc. Too often, news reporting is biased. The treatment of Sarah Palin and her family is a case in point. That kind of commentary and reporting appeals to a segment of the population but that segment isn't large enough to make a profitable market for newspapers.
Even if newspapers did reduce biased commentary and reporting, they still would have a business problem. But a broader appeal to readers might make their situation a little less dire.
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