I've written before about how the media, especially sports journalism, is being affected by changing technology (the Internet) and the economy. It seems clear that newspapers as we know them will not survive.
The latest example...the Washington Times has announced they are laying off 40% of their staff, including the entire sports department and all their staff photographers.
And a lot of newspapers are beginning the new year with plans to charge for their content. (Of course, they've tried before, mostly unsuccessfully.)
A lot of people point to bloggers as the answer to what will take the place of newspapers, but most bloggers are dependent on the mainstream media to provide grist for their mills.
Here's one possible solution: C. Trent Rosecrans is asking for donations to cover the costs of going out to Arizona to cover spring training. Trent is not a garden-variety blogger, of course. He used to be the Reds beat writer for the now-defunct Cincinnati Post. So his tactic is probably not one the average blogger can take. Still, it's an interesting idea.
The reception at Big League Stew was skeptical at best. Most people don't seem to think Trent will succeed. But I think he will. So far, he's 42% toward his goal, with 64 contributors. (That works out to about $25 each.)
The new face of sports coverage, maybe?
Labels: media
