Herald's Handout Scheme Paying Off: Editor
Results "encouraging" for paper's charity plea
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The headline of the Miami Herald inside a sidewalk newspaper box reflects the turn of events in South Florida as Tropical Storm Ernesto remained below hurricane strength August, 30, 2006 in Key West, Florida. Ernesto moved made landfall as a tropical storm with winds of about 45 miles per hour. (Photo by Carlo Allegri/Getty Images)
It's been just a week since the Miami Herald stuck out its hand and asked online readers for donations, but it looks like their public plea is bringing in more than the pittance many predicted.
Calling the donations "encouraging," executive editor Anders Gyllenhaal told mediabistro.com that the charity offerings have been pouring in.
"The first few days of this experiment have elicited an encouraging steam of gifts, ranging from $2 to $55," Gyllenhaal said. "They've also provoked an array of reactions, here and across the country, since this has drawn attention as the first effort of its kind."
The Herald began soliciting voluntary donations on its' Website just last week, accepting contributions through most major credit cards. A link at the bottom of each story page directs users to a donations page.
"If you value The Miami Herald's local news reporting and investigations, but prefer the convenience of the Internet, please consider a voluntary payment for the web news that matters to you," the donation page reads.
With several newspapers seemingly on the verge of beginning a charge for content system, the Herald's move, though not unique to Websites, is nevertheless an interesting approach for an old-school newspaper institution like the Herald.
"We're trying something new, we're putting it out there to see if it works, to see what the response is," Elissa Vanaver, Vice President/Assistant to the Publisher at the Herald, said last week. She said the Herald currently has no plans to start charging for content.
