The Two-Bit News - Concept for Democratized Local News

 by Brian T. Lynch, MSW

The Two-Bit News



I have a proprietary idea to restore public access to local community news that is edited and vetted, and very inexpensive. Local newspapers were something we enjoyed and took for granted. It kept us informed and engaged with our towns.

Not too long ago, the Daily Advance in Morris County had several dozen fulltime reporters covering everything from scholastic sports to municipal council meetings. This, and many other local newspapers, were funded by local advertising. But the world turned digital and internet based. Local advertising revenue migrated there as well and readership in printed news declined. Today, only one or two reporters cover most towns and many places have no reporting at all. As local news organizations declined, they were purchased and consolidated into the larger media companies. Local daily news coverage was no longer profitable for big media companies, so it disappeared almost entirely. Along with it went our engagement with the community and our knowledge of local affairs and municipal governments. Grassroot democracy dies in a vacuum.

All of this led to a shift away from local interests, over which we have more direct control, to the larger, more profitable news media only covering issues over which we have less direct control. If we manage to hang on to our democracy over the next five years, the work needed to strengthen It against the weaknesses that have allowed it to come under attack have to be matched with an effort to strengthen the “fourth estate” of journalism as well, restoring reliable local news to every town and village in America. What we need is an economically democratic way to collect and distribute local news. It must be inexpensive so everyone can afford it. For the sake of giving the idea a name, I will call it the “Two Bit News.”

THE READERS PERSPECTIVE: Two bits equals 25 cents. From a reader's perspective signing on to the local news site would cost them 25¢ per week. You can sign on at any time to receive a daily summary of local, state and national news for a seven-day period. No contracts, no commitments, no refunds!

For this sum, readers on the site would see a list of daily news headlines with bylines for free. Headlines would be prioritized by local news, regional, state, and national articles, in that order. If any reader would like to receive the full summary of any news article they see, they need only click on a headline. For the sum of 25¢ a reader would then have access to all news summaries for the next seven days. If readers like the weekly summary. They can opt to open an account and save the hassle of weekly payment transactions. A debit account would operate much the same way as an Easy Pass account, but with a two dollar minimum balance with the option of automatic balance replacement for money deducted from their account.

This is the basic service. The daily summary page would be a list of the story headlines. To read the summary for a headline, the reader would click on the headline for no extra fee. In addition, every summary article could be opened in full for an extra nickel, or more for more popular stories or lengthy enterprise pieces. The up charge for full access to any story that interests you would be automatically deducted from your debit account when you click on the price symbol at the end of a summary. You only pay extra for the stories that most interest you.

THE REPORTER PERSPECTIVE: Anyone can submit a local news story about anything happening in their community by registering themselves on the site and agreeing to the conditions and payment terms for their work. All payment is piece rate based on unduplicated viewership. New registrations are vetted for accuracy and verification. Once approved, registrants are legally protected by First Amendment rights. (All other liability conditions need to be developed.)

By submitting a news story, the writer must agree to the conditions and standards outlined on the webpage. Every story submitted for publication must meet the journalistic standards enumerated on the website. Basic editing changes would be free, and an edited version would be sent back for the writer’s approval before publication.

The general payment scheme is designed to encourage as many participants as possible to smf cover as many news items as possible. The payment rates may be as follows:

1. Writers would receive $2.00 per accepted story submitted without a related picture and $5.00 for a story submitted with a good quality picture taken by the author that is related to the story.

2. Writers receive 2¢ per summary reviewed.

3. Writers receive 5¢ (or more) for every summary that is opened for the full story.

4. At the editor’s discretion, multiple stories written about the same event may be combined, with attribution, to a single story. Otherwise, the best, most accurate account will be published. Multiple authors on a story will be paid, at minimum, at a fraction of their numbers, and more per author for stories that have high circulation numbers.

THE EDITORIAL PERSPECTIVE: EXECUTIVE EDITORS and part-time editors would be hired full-time and paid regular compensation. They would be responsible for overseeing any part-time editors or freelance editors.

Freelance editors, like reporters, would work from home and be paid piece rate for the articles to which they are assigned. The details of this area of the concept plan here will be developed further.

The structure of local reach in general would be similar to the Neighbor News model, which is really an international, publicly traded company.

The reach of every article submitted would expand according to the popularity, (i.e. Number of views) for the article. Any article written would have an equal opportunity for regional, statewide, or national circulation without regard for the popularity of any given reporter.