Connecticut is considering a bailout for local papers. But government assistance always comes with a catch. In the case of government aid of newspapers, it will destroy the ability of those papers to function as watchdogs. As journalism professor Paul Janensch told Reuters, "You can't expect a watchdog to bite the hand that feeds it." That's why the news out of Connecticut is very disturbing.

Two small-town papers have been in danger of being shut down because of decreasing revenue and poor management decisions. Journal Register Corp. recently had to sell the two papers, The Bristol Press and The (New Britain) Herald. Without a buyer, the alternative would have been to close the papers.

Just prior to the sale, one Connecticut State Rep., Frank Nicastro, along with the state's Department of Economic and Community Development, came to save the day. They offered a helping hand. Nicastro believes "the media is a vitally important part of America." For that reason, he has been willing to extend a bailout and keep these newspapers in business. The newspapers' announced buyer, Michael E. Schroeder, has declined to comment on any specific tax breaks or other incentives that may have been offered or accepted.

The preservation of America's democracy has long relied on a free and fiercely independent press. Newspapers play a crucial role in investigations of government corruption. Elections become meaningless when information is not accessible regarding government officials and their activities.

In countries with dictatorships or weak democracies, the press is one of the first institutions to come under attack. They hold a nation's leaders accountable. Widespread propaganda is only effective where a free press is absent, and then the citizenry can be fed government-sponsored lies. The freedom of our press would be undermined even by this less overt but equally dangerous newsroom subsidy. Continued...