Their extensive argument involves some of these principles:
1. Institutions are operating without adequate scrutiny because journalism is underfinanced.
2. The Internet merely accelerated a business model collapse that was coming regardless.
3. There will not be a new business model adequate to the task emerging in the next number of years, and the combination of advertising and subscriptions will not suffice.
4. America has historically subsidized media to ensure audiences were served and it should do so again, principally for non-commercial and non-profits, but also to help commercial entities in exchange for substantial results.
Their essays have made the same call consistently for months now, but in this case what they're sounding is the need for a debate that would at least unfurl the various perspectives.