www.ChrisLaBossiere.com

I love 60 minutes. I love it because it usually saves at least one storyline each week to uncover some great wrong-doing or injustice by a corporation, government, or general miscreant. Other than football and Mad Men, it's the only TV I will watch. Even then, I am a couple weeks behind on my PVR.

Newspapers are the local version of 60 minutes, yet even then, the real-time storyline is usually trumped by internet sources. But when a big story breaks, especially locally, newspapers are a great source for detailed coverage and editorial. The problem is that their business model is doomed. I am NOT saying their value is not there, but their business model is BROKEN. The problem is that organizations are taking their advertising dollars to other mediums which are more cost-effective and except for the detailed editorial, daily readers are relying on online and other sources for their news.

I can't get into the minute detail of why they won't survive in their current capacity, but I strongly recommend that you watch this video if you are really curious. Clay Shirky totally nails it on this discussion. (See the full video below)

As Shirky has stated in his video, there will likely be a void created in local and regional news creation as newspapers fail. Internet or not, it's the Front-Page of the newspaper that gets people talking and debating. It's also the local newspaper that has the time and resources to do the investigative journalism of all things local.

No one can guess the future, but let me have some fun thinking about what I think might be one option.

The Accountability Trust
Imagine with me for a minute if you will; a National Trust. A journalism structure adopted nationally, but implemented at the municipal level. Not one totally funded by government, but also NGO's, philanthropists, and regular concerned citizens (think PBS). The Accountability Trust would be charged with watching over the massive void left behind by for-profit newspapers. Operated by local trustee's, overseen by concerned citizen boards, and employing editors and journalists, they could publish news on story that would simply not be covered properly by television. Certainly never in detail by the online media, which is more and more created in real-time by "citizen journalists".

The practical day-to-day delivery of "newspapers" would have to change, with many communities having to either sacrifice their daily one-inch thick newspaper for a smaller more editorial rich paper, or less-frequent   publication. Advertiser support would remain an integral component of their funding model, but no longer would they be a for-profit enterprise.

Now before you go judging me as a socialist, pinko, wingnut, you must know that I am as capitalist and as fiscally conservative as they come. But I also recognize that Accountability Journalism is integral to maintaining a functioning society. As Shirky mentions in his video, there is a REAL risk of collusion, fraud and wrong-doing unless someone in society is charged with watching over our politicians, bureaucrats and lobbyists.

Relying on local journalism to do this for us has worked, ONLY because the for-profit model of local newspapers has allowed this to happen. As these institutions fail, I simply don't feel comfortable in the hands of even our best "citizen journalists'. Doing this, Canada could establish itself as a nation of news and political transparency.

I know, a crazy idea, but I have struggled to think of an alternative that will work. What are your thoughts?