Congress Considers Ways to Help Newspaper Industry

Congress is considering ways to help out the ailing newspaper industry. The publisher of a District-based African American newspaper is reminding lawmakers to include minority-owned publications in their plans. A bill introduced by Maryland Senator Ben Cardin would help struggling newspapers by giving them tax-exempt status.

Denise Rolark Barnes worries the bill could exclude publications like the Washington Informer. "The term ‘general circulation’ which is often used to exclude minority and ethnic newspapers, should be broadened to ensure greater opportunities for equal access to advertising revenue under the legislation."

She says different tax status might help, but ad revenue is the only thing that can save her paper. "Whether we are a for-profit or a non-profit entity, the decision-makers have to be incentivized to do business with minority and ethnic-owned media, or else, for us, there will be no end to this recession."

Across the industry, print newspaper ad revenue has fallen by twenty-five percent in the past two years.

From Capitol News Connection, Tanya Snyder reports...