143: Media companies that ask for donations

If you’re providing a good service, charge for it. Right?

The town of Meeker in Colorado’s Rio Blanco County has a local news source called The Rio Blanco Herald Times. Like many local papers, it was struggling, so the owners sent out an “email cry for help” to keep the 138-year-old newspaper from going under. I heard about this in an email from Bo Sacks.

The residents replied favorably and the paper was saved, which is quite nice.

"If a town loses its paper, it's less of a town.” That quote is attributed to Al Cross from the University of Kentucky.

This raises an interesting question. If something is a public good, maybe the government should fund it – like roads, and libraries, and things like that.

But isn’t the media supposed to serve as a check on government? Aren’t they supposed to be an independent voice? How can they do that when they’re getting money from the government?

I think government-funded media is a horrible idea, but there’s still the question of “public” funding. Not government funding, but … just people.

That’s how the Boy Scouts and the local house of worship get along, and they’re also public goods. But we don’t generally believe these things should be supported by taxes.

Still, there have been efforts to ask for donations.

I’ve seen campaigns to “Support local journalism,” and some sites simply hold out the hand and ask for some money.

I’m not sure this is appropriate for all media companies, but if citizens believe in the mission and usefulness of a media brand, why shouldn’t they pony up a little extra to keep it in business?

There’s a network of podcasts that does this. The podcasts are free for everybody, but they ask for donations from people who believe in what they’re doing.

The Guardian asks people to fund independent journalism. So does ProPublica. And The Intercept has something along those lines.

There comes a time when it’s appropriate to hold out your hand and ask for a contribution. It’s a little humbling, but … that’s okay.

So as you consider revenue models for your media company, don’t forget to consider donations.

Links

An email cry for help saves this 138-year-old newspaper from extinction
https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/an-email-cry-for-help-saves-this-138-year-old-newspaper-from-shutting-down,246552