Free. And Why People Give Up.

28 September 2010 Categories: Online Journalism

It’s a fact. Free doesn’t work no matter how many people scream on the internet that it does and is the only way.

This can be seen no more starkly than looking at the “hyper local journalism” landscape.

Hyperlocal news, or citizen journalism, was a dream of thousands. Get a laptop, a website, put up some advertising, write up wonderful news, and voila, you’re in business for yourself as a dedicated hot-shot reporter

You dreamed of uncovering corruption in your local council, demanding interviews with shady characters and being invited to press events. .....