While it makes sense on one level for those who publish and produce first generation reporting to do something to figure out how they can earn a living wage as they do this vital work, there is a very scary side to that. Essentially what a trust of newspaper companies under protection of the US gov’t — & here we are talking about some of the biggest media conglomerates in the USA and abroad — will do is to create a business model that earns their keep while codifying into business practice & quite possibly law protection from the diverse and challenging voices that are not on their payroll.

While in the USA this won’t ostensibly criminalize the independent journalist, it will likely lock them out of the level of resources, credentialing, and income that would allow them to report on the professional level. Without that living wage, burnout becomes easy and the immediacy of reporting can be retardedby a reporter’s need for sustaining activities.

I found that part a lot scarier than Simon’s testimony on the failings of web journalism. Anti-trust protection will codify the failure of web journalism.

That said, Mr. Simon and most of the other on the panel did call for an important change in journalism. There is a bill before the Senate now to let newspapers become non-profit entities. I don’t know to what level this includes more than the print daily. Nevertheless, corporatism has killed the kind of journalism needed to sustain a healthy democracy. By taking the profit motive and unsustainable growth out of news publishing, we get more accountability to the readers and not to the stockholders.

With legislation before the US Congress as well as corporate lobbying pressure, now is an important time to keep abreast of what is happening in the seats of power in regards to journalism, citizen, indy, professional, corporate or otherwise.