Though it is true print news is dying, the idea that real reporting has lost its importance is false. We need reporters covering news now more than ever. Healthcare, the cost of education, the War on Terror, the Obama Presidency and the economy are all topics screaming to be put on the front page of papers and Web sites around the countries.
Swensen and Schmidt's point to save newspapers might weigh the pros and cons, but it overlooks one point.
Among colleges and universities there is much competition. Some institutions offer excellent athletic programs and some upgrade their technological resources every year. If newspapers were guaranteed to receive money from endowments like institutions, would the competitive edge between news outlets dissipate? For decades, newspapers have fought to have the highest circulation as well as the most paid advertisements to gather more than a substantial revenue. If newspapers always have a flow of money, will the standards of journalistic performance and ethics diminish?
This is just one idea. It is very possible that the amount of newspaper endowments could fluctuate depending on performance.
But as Swensen and Schmidt said, there has been thus far, no other solution to strengthen the "dying" world of newspapers.
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Michelle Skowronek
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