Anya Kamenetz, a freelance writer and author of Generation Debt, thinks that in order to save itself, the New York Times — and, for that matter, all newspapers — should become nonprofits.

Kamenetz, who clearly listens to far too much NPR, says the public radio model is one big newspaper companies should consider:

Take the old Gray Lady. She's no less shining an example of New York's cultural heritage than the Metropolitan Opera. So why shouldn't the Times, like the Met, turn itself over to a philanthropic foundation that could invest in long-term quality over quarterly revenues? Whether the future is digital, dead trees, or a combination, the foundation could protect the Times' highly trained staff, research resources, reportorial traditions, archives, and matchless global brand.

Nice idea. Never gonna happen, but nice idea.