Beyond the bootstrap fallacy: Public service journalism deserves public funding

When you walk into a public library, you are surrounded by rows and rows of books, all available to you free of charge. Libraries have long been an embodiment of public service. They’re the cornerstone of informed communities and are publicly funded without question. Now, imagine if someone suggested that we fund local libraries only until they can operate on membership fees and late charges. Sounds ridiculous, right? Of course it does. It’s obvious that free public libraries are a vital and worthwhile public service that deserve public funding. Yet, when it comes to local journalism — a service as crucial to democracy as libraries are to education — that’s the message we often hear from journalism funders. The buzzword in journalism funding circles is “sustainability.” The idea is to give newsrooms just enough money to get by until they can eventually sustain themselves through ad revenue, subscriptions, memberships, and other market-based funding sources. But let’s pause and consider this: Why is the onus on journalism to become a self-sustaining entity when other public services are not (and should not be) held to the same standard? <a href="https://medium.com/centerforcooperativemedia/beyond-the-bootstrap-fallacy-public-service-journalism-deserves-public-funding-3e8cb5d24fd8">Website</a>