The Correspondent - New approach to news

[Brad]

Here it is: https://thecorrespondent.com/

The model has already been successful in the Netherlands.  They are jumpstarting the project.  Given our many threads here about how bad the news reporting is I think this is worth trying.

[rcjordan]

Interesting.  I couldn't find anything about who actually will do the writing, paid staff, quasi-pro locals, man-on-the-street?

Netherlands culture is a distant cousin to the US, I'm not enthusiastic about its ling-term viability here. 

What Yahoo and AOL CEO Tim Armstrong learned from Patch’s struggles - Recode
https://www.recode.net/2017/8/31/16228076/yahoo-aol-oath-verizon-ceo-tim-armstrong-learned-from-patch-struggles

Armstrong founded Patch in 2007, and when he became AOL’s CEO, he acquired it in 2009. And until majority ownership of the company was sold to Hale Global in 2014, he weathered constant doubt and criticism from both investors and the media over the brand’s losses. However, he said, on “very small amounts of the property” — meaning, in a small number of the cities and towns that got local news sites on Patch.com — it thrived.

“The lesson was, we should have tightened way further down on the towns that were working, and then made sure they were getting replicated exactly out in the market,” Armstrong said.

You can listen to the new podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Overcast or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Armstrong praised Patch’s new owners, noting that it’s now profitable and growing. And he still believes that the calculus behind the site was right — just too early.

[Brad]

It just says journalists.  I'm going to assume they will rely on freelancers at first, and I'm sure they have a network of talent they know about through their Dutch operation.

I donated.  If they don't meet their goal I get my donation back.  If they do I'll try it for a year and then determine how much I want to pay for access based on their performance.  Right now we are in a gridlock of horsepucky and I'd like a shot at something better before the wacky 2020 election.

[littleman]

This is an interesting approach.  I think it is worth watching. 

[rcjordan]

> gridlock of horsepucky

I gave you a partial cure. RIP the news ...or continue to have it fed to you.