Event: The News Industry
The Brookings Institution will host an event May 18, 2009, on “The Future of the News Industry” to:
“[D]iscuss how to ‘re-engineer’ the traditional business model of the news industry and to improve media coverage of public affairs. Time’s Karen Tumulty will moderate a discussion with Brookings Vice President and Director of Governance Studies Darrell West, Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Aspen Institute’s Walter Isaacson, and journalist Michael Kinsley. Brookings President Strobe Talbott will offer introductions and opening remarks.”
After the program, panelists will take audience questions.The following participants will take part:
Strobe Talbott, president, The Brookings Institution
Moderator
Karen Tumulty, senior writer and national political correspondent, Time
Panelists
The Honorable Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), United States Senate
Walter Isaacson, president and CEO, The Aspen Institute
Michael Kinsley, writer and columnist
Darrell M. West, vice president and director, Governance Studies
Cardin has introduced the Newspaper Revitalization Act (S. 673), which would create a new option under the Internal Revenue Code for a “qualified newspaper corporation,” allowing newspapers to operate under 501(c)(3) status for educational purposes, according to a May 6 press release. It would be the same IRS status that is used by churches, hospitals, educational institutions, public broadcasting, and other nonprofits. However, as a recent Senate hearing demonstrated, there is very little consensus on how to solve the problems facing the newspaper industry.