A representative for the newspaper industry on Thursday appealed to Congress to give newspapers an opportunity to recoup taxes paid on profits over the last decade as the industry struggles to cope with declines in advertising revenue, The Associated Press reported Friday.

John Strum, the Newspaper Association of America's president and CEO, said newspapers do not want a government handout, but rather he believes the industry would better benefit from a tax break and relaxed pension contributions. His proposal would see newspapers receive tax refunds from the past 5 years to offset current losses.
Current law allows losses within two years of a recorded profit to be covered by tax refunds. However many newspapers have not see profit during the last two years.

"Newspapers need cash now to preserve jobs next year," he said, according to the AP. "It's really that simple."

Strum said a bailout from the government would create a conflict of interests for an industry "whose core mission is news gathering, analysis and dissemination often involving that very same government."

Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, a Democrat from New York, said she thinks the government should be able to provide a solution that would aid newspapers financially without treading on their independence, according to the AP.

Sen. Ben Cardin, a Democrat from Maryland, has introduced S. 673, the so-called "Newspaper Revitalization Act," that would give news organisations tax deals if restructured as 501(c)(3) corporations. The bill has attracted one cosponsor, another Maryland Senator, Barbara Mikulski, also a Democrat.