NEWSFLASH: KANSAS CITY DONATION JOURNALISM DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK!!!



Amid Coronavirus harsh times for every local business, The Northeast News touts their donation page . . .

"For almost 90 years, our community has turned to one source for news related to our community. That source is the Northeast News.

"To that end, we’ve established two secure portals on our web page that will allow our readers and followers to support locally-owned community journalism.

"Small businesses and community journalism are the backbone of any community and the Historic Northeast community is no exception.

"If you believe in locally-produced, locally-owned community journalism, visit our web page at www.northeastnews.net/pages/about."

A few things first . . .

If readers are going to support local journalism . . . THE NORTHEAST NEWS IS A GREAT CHOICE!!! They do outstanding work and the community paper is legendary.

There is nothing wrong with donations. It's a viable biz strategy and 11.4% of the city's total workforce labors in the nonprofit sector mostly funded by way of donations.

But here's the rub . . .

Donations limit journalists from offending or even seriously challenging their patrons.

As always, there are ways around this conflict. Great journalists like those working at the Northeast News are objective and focused on facts. The reports they craft usually impress even the most skeptical readers. But even this crew of dedicated reporters have been forced to carefully manage donors and investors who wanted to wield undue influence.

Donors ruin most publications or, at the very least, the content becomes subordinate to the fundraising.

To be fair, the same can be said of an ad based model that usually results in click-bait and frivolous reporting. There is no "perfect" solution . . . Even the membership/subscription model has its drawbacks including but not limited to rich kids fudging their numbers in order to pathetically pump themselves up by way of commissioned articles or talk show appearances.

Nevertheless . . .

Supporting Northeast News is MONEY WELL SPENT.

And we share this tidbit simply to promote their efforts and offer a glimpse at many ways locals attempt to fund the next level of the Kansas City news hustle.

Developing . . .

Comments

  1. I will donate if they post more titays!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ^^^ Tough titty, not going to happen. BUT maybe a ho stroll directory might be newsworthy.

      Delete
    2. ^^^ Dumbass. That's a good way to get coronavirus.

      Delete
  2. ^^^^ A better way than shopping at WalMart!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great piece, Tony.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'll give $5,000 to the Northeast News if, on their front page, they publically disavow Brian Stadler as a race traitor and shitty cartoonist to boot.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Byron Funkhouser3/26/20, 5:10 PM

    ^^There's no such thing as a "race traitor".

    Only a cowardly Nazi hiding behind anonymity.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Northeast News is one of the best community papers I've seen in KC. I always make it a point to tell businesses that I saw their ad in the Northeast News.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

TKC COMMENT POLICY:

Be percipient, be nice. Don't be a spammer. BE WELL!!!

- The Management