I know, I seem to be starting here with a photo that doesn’t match the headline, but this is creative writing. Work with me! (I got the idea for the photo before the idea for the headline.)
Former Journal Inquirer editor Chris Powell, in his latest column, explores an issue he has touched on often in the past: Should news organizations take public subsidies, or tax breaks in this case, as a way to stay in business? Powell is torn on the issue, because he has often argued that taking government money to run a news business leads to conflicts of interest.
But, as a bill moves through the state legislature to help struggling dairy farmers, Powell asks; what if we treated journalists like farmers? Perhaps he is also asking an even bigger question; should government be in the business of bailing out businesses at all?
