Nonprofit news?

NPR asks, should newspapers go nonprofit? I say yes.

The executive producer of 60 Minutes, Jeff Fager, says [nonprofit news organization] ProPublica is filling a real need. "There's a crisis in this country involving investigative reporting, and everybody's aware of it," Fager says. When strapped news organizations make cuts, they look to what's most costly, he says. "And that's what happens when you're investigating — doing real investigative reporting. It's expensive."

Finally the bar could be raised on what passes for news coverage: more could be covered, it could be covered in more depth, and there would be less of a tendency for sensationalism. I am SO ready for that to happen.

But, as NPR points out, government or philanthropist funding would come with its own baggage. PBS stations are always begging for money, and I know the same would be true of nonprofit newspapers. Plus, there are no promises that whatever entity funds the newspaper wouldn't impose its own interests as to what gets covered. Still, I think it's a better solution than what's going on now.