Freedom of speech is guaranteed in the United States by the Bill of Rights, yet what is going to happen to a free press as newspapers shut down? Among the most provocative proposals is to have newspapers become non-profits. This proposal recognizes the inherent public good that is done by the press.
This year, St. Petersburg Times came in second only to the New York Times in winning Pulitzer Prizes. What’s remarkable is that the Florida newspaper was willed to a non-profit institute by its previous owner; and that precedent has ignited conversations about how freedom of speech in journalism can potentially be saved by having newspapers become charities in the public interest.
What do you think of this approach? How free do you feel in terms of freedom of expression in the press? If it were up to you, how would you preserve the vital function of a free press in times of a dying business model for newspapers?