Donations for journalistic research
In San Francisco, Spot.us offers a platform for journalists and people interested in local issues. Topics for journalistic research are suggested on the site and donations are collected until a journalist can be commissioned to carry out the respective research.
The current financial situation is increasing the pressure on newspapers. Jobs are being cut, salaries reduced and titles discontinued. The death of newspapers is also making the rounds in the USA due to falling advertising revenues. Readers and classified ads are migrating to the Internet. San Francisco will soon have to reckon with no local newspaper at all. According to Tagesspiegel.de, the San Francisco Chronicle made a loss of 50 million dollars last year. Its owner, the Hearst Group, has already cut 150 jobs.
In San Francisco, there is an alternative option should the San Francisco Chronicle be discontinued. On the Spot.us website, journalists and users suggest topics that should be researched. Donations are collected for the suggestions until a journalist can be commissioned. This usually involves a sum of between 400 and 500 dollars, with the current donation amount and the amount still outstanding being displayed. The research work is initially limited to the San Francisco region.
One of the first commissioned stories centered on San Francisco's growing tent and car villages of unemployed and low-income employees. The two-part series was written and researched by radio journalist Thea Chroman. Donations are currently being sought for research into the use of recyclable waste. But donations are also being sought for topics such as Twitter and Oakland's infrastructure.
In San Francisco, there is an alternative option should the San Francisco Chronicle be discontinued. On the Spot.us website, journalists and users suggest topics that should be researched. Donations are collected for the suggestions until a journalist can be commissioned. This usually involves a sum of between 400 and 500 dollars, with the current donation amount and the amount still outstanding being displayed. The research work is initially limited to the San Francisco region.
One of the first commissioned stories centered on San Francisco's growing tent and car villages of unemployed and low-income employees. The two-part series was written and researched by radio journalist Thea Chroman. Donations are currently being sought for research into the use of recyclable waste. But donations are also being sought for topics such as Twitter and Oakland's infrastructure.
