Hackastory

A simple recipe for local news companies: charge people!

Jessica Lessin of The Information and Ben Thompson of Stratechery have independently come up with a new business model for local news organizations, the New York Times reports. Facebook recently announced that it will start promoting local news organizations, but local news organizations like Ms. Lessin’s and Mr. Thompson’s just might survive without their help thanks to this new business model.

Quality over quantity
The plan involves asking readers for real money in the form of subscriptions. This is unconventional for local news companies, as running ads tends to be perceived as the safer decision. Local news organizations with such a plan could create a sense of belonging along with articles that emphasize quality over quantity.

You can read the whole story in the New York Times.

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