Mediacheck

Revised Funding Model for Tyee

Last one didn't go as expected; high hopes for this one.

By David Beers, 1 Apr 2011, TheTyee.ca

Tyee worker with $

Sure fire.

Text size:

Rate this:

Login/Register

Related

Three years ago we at The Tyee were excited to unveil a new funding model for independent journalism that we believed was sure fire. The plan was to incorporate mentions of products and services into news stories, charging "product placement associates" significant fees in order to have their brands slipped into our reports. How was this supposed to work? We offered this example:

"Mayor Sam Sullivan's 'ecodensity' concept has drawn intense criticism from some community activists. While no one disputes that density is positive when it involves the densely packed, mouth-watering chocolate chips in every muffin at Schwartz Brothers' Bakery, community planners are not convinced that Sullivan's plan is a good one."

We called it our "Enhanced News Concept" -- not as pithy a prescription for reinventing journalism as, say, "Post-Media" but, then, we didn't have the big bucks to hire professional namers of new paradigms as did the people who took over CanWest.

To cut to the chase... it didn't work. Pretty much everyone we approached was worried their brand might be named in a story that proved a poor "advertising environment" (as professional namers of new paradigms term journalism these days). We had a baby buggy maker on the hook, but they wanted us to assure we wouldn't ever run stories mentioning that babies cry. We had a grocer ready to go, but they wanted us to sign a waiver assuring we'd never acknowledge the fact that fruit can go mealy. Too much paperwork, too many lawyers, we couldn't make a go of it.

So we went back to the drawing board on how to save journalism, and now we're pretty sure we've done it.

Show that you care, please, by celebrating Christmas one week later.

Here's how it works.

Master the workings of Excel or any other basic spreadsheet software program.

Enter into the spreadsheet every present you intend to buy for family and friends, each with its price as of Dec. 15.

Announce to all that you are saving journalism by celebrating Christmas one week later.

On Christmas, watch old movies and eat Chinese food, or whatever. Just don't have Christmas.

On Boxing Day buy all the presents you've entered into your spreadsheet. Note the cost savings you have accrued by purchasing them after Christmas.

Three days after Christmas, begin scavenging back alleys for tossed out (yet still serviceably green) Christmas trees. Bring one home and set it up. Add that $70 savings to the amount of Christmas savings you've already achieved. Any savings derived from re-gifting should be folded into the total as well.

Celebrate Christmas on Jan. 1.

Make out a cheque for the amount saved on Christmas by celebrating it one week late, and send it to The Tyee, thus saving journalism.

We're confident this will work, but of course we won't know until around the first or second week of January. Until then, talk it up! Then send those festive cheques. [Tyee]

David Beers is editor of The Tyee.

16 Comments:

Login or register to post comments

  • sunnyokanagan

    1 year ago

    funding - you don't have to wait.

    Sorry; this Christmas-in-January thing will not work, not in this economy. If we save any money over the Holidays it is not "surplus". It goes to pay the bills.

    Not to mention, who buys $70 Xmas trees!? certainly no one I know.

    And... most retailers (also feeling the pinch to retain their little slice of the pie) now sell stuff in /before/ Christmas sales, so we don't have to wait until Boxing Day to get sales prices.

    Who came up with this idea? I can't believe an ordinary working-class or blue-collar family man or woman would think this is viable. We know better.

    Don't wait a whole year of under-funding in hopes that /this/ model will reward you. I can tell you right now: it will NOT.

  • onthebay

    1 year ago

    Thanks for the first chuckle of the day

    Thanks for the humorous reminder that a little funding sent your way keeps this great news site alive. The cheque will be on the way shortly - no April fools! :)

  • ron wilton

    1 year ago

    delayed Xmas

    Excellent idea. I think we should also delay April Fool's day to Nov.17, because no one ever gets caught on the first anymore.

  • dorothy

    1 year ago

    Oh, man:

    There are all sorts of things I could tell you! My 'Christmas', which in my house is known as 'Jul' (no, not 'Yule') is a 13-day affair stretching from December 20th to Jan 02nd. So, you see, there are all sorts of things that one can go adventuring in the back alleys for, and doing not only late, but also early and all around. I'll get started on the Spreadsheet right away and keep you posted by next solstice...

    Here is ANOTHER idea, however, that might work somewhat easier. How about you add a new category to your writing quality range? On top of 'All' and 'Best', why not add 'recreational'. This would be for people to vent, ramble, rant, and even go poetic in their own perception. Then you could charge per word, and put a sky-blue tab on it, and the agreement would be that everything, I mean EVERYTHING with no moderation, would be posted. Not the most gross name-calling and aspersions, not the most incoherent drivel, would be killed, as long as it was paid for.

    The idea is yours for free. Just give me a badge for generosity...I COULD be persuaded to send in a fiver for that...

  • shanghaijed

    1 year ago

    yeah

    You know I come to the tyee cause its writing and journalism is just a cut above a lot out there.

    however the irony and humour has a way to go, Happy April Fools...

  • Shannon Rupp

    1 year ago

    yet another reason satire is dead

    Beers, that Xmas idea is genius.

  • cboo44

    1 year ago

    Well done !

    Had me until "Master Excel............."

    :)

  • lynn

    1 year ago

    Christmas Fools: Today, The Tyee. Tomorrow, The World!

    funny stuff...and such an 'uncomplicated' plan. ;-)

    If this works, think of the

    possibilities.....

    What could we save next?

  • VivianLea Doubt

    1 year ago

    at times I despair...

    and then, someone writes something funny.

    We are way too serious, and thanks, David!

  • Steve Burgess

    1 year ago

    Whatever.

    I don't care how you come up with the cash, Beers. Just as long as I get mine.

  • ReeferMadness

    1 year ago

    Xmas late

    is a great idea, providing you don't mind lining up at 3AM for boxing day sales to buy last year's crap at dubious "sale" prices.

  • Bernardo

    1 year ago

    An excellent idea, but...

    ... before I could master Excel, I would have to purchase (and install) MS Office. And to run Office, I would first have to install Windows (after buying a "license" from Microsoft and receiving their confirmation I'm permitted to use it). On top of that I would now also need a good anti-virus program and other security essentials. Of course all this would consequently require that I obtain a newer, more powerful computer to run it all -- In the end, The Tyee would _owe_ me money.

    Allow me to suggest an alternative. Recommend that the Tyee readership instead switch from Windows over to some version of Linux; instead of "upgrading" to the latest, greatest operating system from Redmond, Tyee supporters could keep the money in their wallets and divide the saving with their favourite news site. The savings from anti-virus "subscriptions" alone would probably save the Tyee, while savings from services such as malware "cleaning" and system re-installation would amply reward the participants. The savings on obligatory "upgrades" to both software and hardware would provide recurring, additional savings.

    To make this scheme for attractive to it's readership, The Tyeee could establish a tech-support service to assist Tyee supporters conversion. A pilot program could easily be established now for the benefit of "early adopters" and the more committed Tyee supporters. Any start-up bugs should be ironed out fairly quickly, and the new program would be ready for an official, formal launch by about, say, next April 1st ;-) at the very latest.

  • warbler

    1 year ago

    Best comment goes to

    Burgess: "I don't care how you come up with the cash, Beers. Just as long as I get mine."

    Nice to see a healthy current of humour in this rag of an online zine.

    My cheque is in the mail, again.

  • sunnyokanagan

    1 year ago

    you got me....

    D'oh!

  • David Beers

    1 year ago

    Administrator

    sunnyokanagan...

    It wasn't fair. Near as I can tell you were reading the story in the wee hours of the morning, probably before coffee, and, without the benefit of anyone else's cautions, you bravely ventured the first comment!

  • happy

    1 year ago

    Chrstmas? Never! Cancel Labour Day!!

    After all, nothing "productive" happens so why is it called Labour Day anyway. It should be called Non labour Day cause no ones working.
    Doesn't that make more sense?

    X2 the Best Comment for Burgess. He's got his head screwed on straight!

    • The discussion for this story is closed. No more comments can be added.