Will the Fourth Estate Seek Philanthropic Help?
Feb 11, 2009

Facing serious declines in both readership and revenue, newspapers are considering novel ways to stay viable. Could local newspapers actually accept support from community foundations without risking their credibility for objective reporting? That question has editors speaking out strongly on both sides of the debate. While Philadelphia Inquirer editor Bill Marimow says the idea "is troubling to me," Charlotte Hall, president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors, has a different perspective. She writes "a new kind of firewall would be needed to assure independent reporting and unencumbered editing." Writer David Westphal interviews journalists across the country for their take on the issue.

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