As is perhaps well known by now, the Chronicle has launched an Alameda specific website called In Alameda. Congratulations to Lauren and John on this achievement.
While coverage of local issues by the mainstream newspapers continues to shrink as a result of the cutbacks, alternative business models are attempting to fill the gap. For instance, in San Diego:
He launched the San Diego News Network (SDNN) using a “regional aggregation strategy”– akin to a blogging model for news. Those who bring their buckets and shovels get a big slice of the ad pie, if the money arrives. Payroll costs will be minimal, says Senturia, because SDNN reporters are paid an 80% cut of the ad revenue generated by the pages on which their stories appear (they also get a small stipend).
In other words, writers get a percentage of the ad money that their articles generate! Could it be only a question of time before this idea catches on?
