Let us assume that the ai project “fails”. We do not create superintelligent or sentient machines; current capabilities only improve by a third or so. The ai bubble collapses.

Let us assume that American democracy is restored.

We make these assumptions because otherwise there is no point to thinking about a future for American journalism.

Given those assumptions, how can journalism be funded? The historical tradition of oligarchic ownership has failed us. Classified ads may return, but on a smaller scale. Direct public funding is not remotely conceivable.

So how about indirect public funding?

Every citizen every year gets $100 in digital tokens. Tokens can be used to purchase articles or subscriptions from sources that are licensed as official media by an independent commission modeled along the lines of the Federal reserve. Each year unused tokens roll over to the next, so if 50% are used the next year the budge is $150.

That’s all. Just wanted to get it “in print”, I’ve suggested this scheme a few times on BlueSky without a response.

(I put probability of at least partial democratic restoration at about 50%, and probability of ai “failure” at 50%, so only a 25% chance of this kind of approach being considered. But that’s not nothing.)