December 14, 2005



[You notice I publish on what is "happenin'" on the Internet news front often ... look what others are thinkin' - Lady B.]
Newspapers as non-profits?
Tyler Cowen

A newspaper company, like a public broadcaster, could be organized as a not-for-profit, tax-exempt corporation.

It could still sell papers and advertising, it could still develop new Internet revenues, it would still pay market wages and salaries (or maybe better), it could re-invest in improving its own staff and facilities and operations, it just couldn't make a profit. And it wouldn't pay taxes or dividends.

Here is _more_ (http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/columns/shoptalk_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001657297) .

As newspaper ads move to the web, draining a key source of revenue, I see a few options:

1. Subscription finance with high prices and few ads. A bit like the Financial Times. Of course this means fewer newspapers and fewer newspaper pages. On the plus side, fewer articles would continue on other, distant pages.

2. Sleazy tabloids. But the competition with the Internet remains.

3. Some clever newspaper coup to take over Web processing of commercial information and leapfrog over ebay and Craigslist.

4. Web products evolve into customized, print-on-demand newspapers. A some major newspapers survive by going the hybrid route, or by merging with their web competitors. "What is a newspaper?" becomes a question of degree and we needn't mourn the lack of pure newspapers.

5. Non-profits would take in revenue and also raise donations by selling access to social and political networks.

What would a date with Maureen Dowd go for?
6. Extremely partisan, low-cost "rag" newspapers, akin to 19th century U.S. experience, and paid for by subscription.

Advertisers seek to offend nobody, and thus exert a centrist influence over newspaper content.I place virtually no weight on option #3.

Comments are open.December 10, 2005 at 07:12 AM in _Economics_

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Handbook for Cyber-Dissidents


Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents

Reporters without Borders has put together a Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents explaining such things as how to blog anonymously. Contributors to the book include Arash Sigarchi, an Iranian blogger who was sentenced to 14 years in prison for criticizing the Iranian regime.Thanks to Carl Close for the pointer.
Posted by Alex Tabarrok on December 11, 2005 at 07:05 AM in Web/Tech Permalink
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