(EDITORIAL from the JoongAng Daily on April 8)

Crisis in our midst

Today is the 53rd anniversary of the JoongAng Ilbo. Though we are pleased to
celebrate the occasion, we are also reminded of the troubled times in which this
event is occurring.
The newspaper industry is fraught with a sense of unrest. It is in the grip of a
chronic depression, which has been exacerbated by the global economic meltdown.
With more customers preferring to get their news online for free and increasingly
reluctant to purchase subscriptions, newspaper companies in most countries are
facing severe management difficulties.
Most newspaper companies are trying to resolve the crisis in their midst with
desperate efforts to restructure. However, it is already beyond the capacity of
most to turn the tide by curtailing expenses. Against this backdrop, many are
insisting that the government and the public be at the forefront of efforts to
rescue newspapers in trouble. We agree.
Advanced countries are taking action because they see newspapers as vital to
maintaining freedom of speech and democracy.
In France, President Nicolas Sarkozy unveiled a series of plans to promote the
print media at a New Year???s press conference, including doubling the amount of
advertising the government does in newspapers.
The United States is considering a bill that would allow newspapers to merge with
broadcasting companies. In addition, U.S. senators have proposed increasing
government support for newspapers in late March.
In Korea, what is needed is policy that offers financial support to the newspaper
industry. Currently, there is a bill on the table that would undermine the global
competitiveness of the nation???s media. It should be amended by all means
necessary when the National Assembly opens in June so as to remove any barriers
between different types of media.
It is of great importance to devise a policy to increase newspaper readership. To
this end, the United States passed a law to promote reading in 1998. Even Japan,
ranked first in the world with the highest newspaper circulation per 1,000
adults, devised its Promoting Letters and Printing Culture Act in 2006 and is
encouraging people to read more printed media.
Our Reading Culture Promotion Act has yet to produce any concrete results. One
solution would be for the government to subsidize the free distribution of
newspapers to middle and high schools nationwide, via the national treasury or
the newspaper development fund.
Doing so would support our media industry and make a huge contribution toward
encouraging young people to get into the habit of reading newspapers.
It would also contribute to maintaining our democracy via a press that is truly
free.

(END)