Boston Mayor Offers $200,000 loan to Struggling Newspaper

The Boston Globe reports:

The City of Boston will offer to loan the Bay State Banner up to $200,000 to keep the cash-strapped weekly newspaper from shutting down permanently, Mayor Thomas M. Menino said last night.

The mayor told the Globe that the loan will come from the Boston Local Development Corp. fund, a private nonprofit administered by the Boston Redevelopment Authority that provides financial infusions to struggling small businesses.

The mayor said the loan is not an attempt to garner favor from the Banner, which focuses on the black community and has often covered Menino critically.

“This is about me helping a business that is very important to the minority community,’’ Menino said. “I will step up any time and help any business in this city. I’m trying to help a business survive. Tell me if that’s wrong.’’

Mayor Menino sees no limits on what the government can do. None. This is a dangerous situation because this compromises the press. Why should taxpayers fund a media outlet that can't turn a profit? The separation of press from state is not something Mayor Menino believes in.