Newspapers as nonprofits

Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-MD) proposes legislation to allow struggling newspapers to operate as nonprofits similar to public broadcasting stations. Revenues would be tax-exempt and they wouldn't be allowed to make political endorsements. Sounds like a workable idea, but I wonder if it could be executed in the real world.

The mainstream newspapers are so saturated with liberal reporters and journalists that it'll be near impossible for a nonprofit newspaper to be unbiased politically.

And even if this doesn't sound like a true bailout in the Wall Street sense, it's still going to impact the taxpayer's wallet. These newspapers are struggling because nobody wants to read them. By allowing them to become nonprofits, they still need money to operate, and without enough subscribers, that's still a problem. Then what? Will the government subsidize them then?

In today's tough economic time about every business is struggling, but not every one of them is asking for help. The newspaper business is like any other business. If you cannot turn a profit to stay in business by conserving cash and evolve your business model, you may not deserve to be in business considering there are no consumers.