Obama: ‘Happy to look at’ Journalism Policies

Self-professed “newspaper junkie” Barack Obama expressed willingness to look at policies and proposals that could help support quality journalism at a moment when traditional outlets -- especially newspapers -- are struggling.

Obama gave the nod to newspapers in an interview in the Oval Office on Friday with editors from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and The Blade of Toledo.

He said:

Journalistic integrity, you know, fact-based reporting, serious investigative reporting, how to retain those ethics in all these different new media and how to make sure that it's paid for, is really a challenge. But it's something that I think is absolutely critical to the health of our democracy.

Craig Aaron, senior program director of Free Press, made the following statement:

President Obama’s leadership is needed to put the future of journalism on the national agenda. Now is not the time for bailouts, but it is a moment for forward-looking policies that will support local and diverse media ownership, encourage experiments and innovations, and invest in a world-class public media system. Our concern should not be for newspapers -- or not just newspapers -- but rather for newsrooms and keeping reporters on the beat.

The struggles facing journalism are a national issue, and we need a national strategy to meet these challenges and to sustain true public service journalism. While we explore new business models for journalism, we must also examine what role government can play in supporting this indispensable institution. There is no silver bullet, but policy decisions -- and the political will to make the right ones -- will shape journalism’s future.

We look forward to working with President Obama, Congress, journalists and -- most importantly -- the public to ensure our communities can get the news they need.

Obama said he had not yet seen the bills in Congress that would help the newspaper industry, but said: "I'll be happy to look at them."

Free Press is a national, nonpartisan organization working to reform the media. Free Press does not support or oppose any candidate for public office. Through education, organizing and advocacy, we promote diverse and independent media ownership, strong public media and universal access to communications.