Nonprofit Journalism in the U.S.A., Sweden, and France

• In Event: Media Ownership and Funding in the New Communication Environment

Abstract

Drawing on in-depth interviews, media industry data, and content analysis, this paper explores the diverse types of non-profit journalism that are emerging across western democracies, with a focus on the U.S.A., Sweden, and France. In the U.S.A., most nonprofits have a tax-free legal status and receive most of their funding from foundations and other philanthropic donations. In France, philanthropy is relatively weak, so nonprofit-style news organizations often rely on audience subscriptions and public subsidies. In Sweden, foundations traditionally linked to political parties are the fastest growing form of media ownership: while in principle insulated from profit pressures, foundation-owned newspapers seem to differ little in news content or style from their commercial counterparts. This paper examines the intra-national and cross-national differences in nonprofit news content and style, and emphasizes the role of national journalistic fields in shaping the particular forms taken by nonprofit journalism in each of the countries studied.

Authors

• Rodney Benson, Rodney Benson

• Julie Sedel, U of Strasbourg