> I think I'd like my media to remain separate from the state just as much as I'd like the church to remain separate from the state.
Complete separation of state and church is pretty rare. They often gain some form of tax benefit. Their buildings often holds central position in towns and if there property tax then they are exempted. If there are government initiatives for children, for arts, or other social benefits then the church is often a common actor in the end. Very few religious organizations that I know depend exclusively on members fees, and I live in Sweden where church being separated from the state is a common perception by those who live here.
If we apply this to local media then a government supported model would not inherently be controlled by the government. You could have government information awareness initiatives with criteria for the actor to have independent journalism. The local news agency would then bid for the job.
The idea of the separation of Church and State is a long standing and well-established tradition. We dont expect much interference in this case. Not so for if a similar thing is applied to local press vis a vis the govt. Interference is virtually guaranteed given the nature of politics. In any case, tax breaks for local media would be insufficient to solve their revenue problems.
As long as there is something which can unambiguously be referred to as “the church”, the state will favor it. It’s not necessarily a question of insufficient separation, it’s more of a de-facto-monopoly situation.
Complete separation of state and church is pretty rare. They often gain some form of tax benefit. Their buildings often holds central position in towns and if there property tax then they are exempted. If there are government initiatives for children, for arts, or other social benefits then the church is often a common actor in the end. Very few religious organizations that I know depend exclusively on members fees, and I live in Sweden where church being separated from the state is a common perception by those who live here.
If we apply this to local media then a government supported model would not inherently be controlled by the government. You could have government information awareness initiatives with criteria for the actor to have independent journalism. The local news agency would then bid for the job.