Opinion: The Case Against Nonprofit Newspapers

Despite high-profile arguments for nonprofit ownership of The New York Times and other financially troubled daily newspapers, such a move would not necessarily be in the best interest of either newspapers or readers, according to Jack Shafer’s commentary in the online publication Slate.

Responding to a recent Times opinion article by David Swensen, the chief investment officer at Yale, and his colleague Michael Schmidt, Mr. Shafer rebuts the notion that “the best eraser for red ink is … charity.”

Among the downsides to such an arrangement that Mr. Shafer cites: The danger of freezing newspaper staffs at sizes that do not reflect current coverage needs; the financial pressures grant makers themselves now face; and the question of whether a newspaper would ultimately be accountable to its philanthropic benefactor or its readers.