Example of TheRealNews.com
The Real News Network, part of Independent World Televsion, is experimenting with an online serious/balanced news service funded by donations from its audience.
Paul Jay, CEO and Senior Editor, has
noted:
"We don't think The Real News will be run by people who are braver or more courageous or smarter than other journalists. There are many people with talent working in other television newsrooms. What makes us different is our funding model. Hundreds of thousands of people across the globe, starting in English, send five or ten dollars a month to us. If enough people do it, we can sustain this. With that kind of funding model, we don't have to worry about quick-ratings results; we don't have to worry about withdrawing of advertising or government subsidies. It means when we're in the newsroom, we only have one thing to worry about: did we get the facts right? Most people are fairly clear--the politicians are not speaking to them honestly, openly, and sincerely, but the news media's reporting on them as if they are."