To the editor:

In his March 27 letter (“Pull the plug on MPBN”), James Mathis wonders why Maine taxpayers are “forced” to (partially) fund public television and radio.

If one allows for technological advances, Thomas Jefferson answered this question 225 years ago when he wrote, “(T) he basis of our government being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”

Jefferson recognized that the cornerstone of a democracy is an informed electorate.

To suggest that MPBN obtain its funding from commercial advertising ignores the generally abysmal quality of news reporting produced via that route: talk radio with its half-truthed, bloviating egotists and superficial sound-bite journalism masquerading as news.

There is nothing intrinsic to the profit motive which would lead it to produce in- depth reporting and a broad range of informed opinion. The evidence available supports, rather, the opposite result.

Even if, as Mathis calculates, only about 10 percent of Mainers listen weekly to public radio, the information they obtain will be disseminated in discussions with non-listeners, multiplying the effect.

The voters of Maine, and thus the state, have a legitimate interest in being informed about important issues. To that end, the state’s support of MPBN would be cheap at twice the price.

“If a nation expects to be ignorant and free … it expects what never was and never shall be.” Smart guy, that Jefferson.

Steven Zimmerman,
Topsham

[email protected]