Senate Mulls Helping Newspaper Industry

WASHINGTON, DC—A Maryland senator proposed a bill that would allow newspapers to operate as nonprofit organizations, an effort to throw a lifeline to the struggling industry. The bill proposed by Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) would essentially preserve the integrity of news gathering and reporting, although nonprofit papers would no longer be able to make political endorsements. Ad and subscription revenue would be tax exempt, while public contributions could be tax deductible.