Size matters: Huffington Post's new investigative fund
Don't get me wrong — a $1.75 million fund for investigative journalism is a good thing, though I can't shake the feeling this is window dressing for a site that could be sued for oversharing others' work. And Arianna Huffington isn't even putting up all the dough!
AP reporter David Bauder notes that the venture's capital "represents far less than what a newspaper would spend to thoroughly cover a community."
Some local perspective on that: Pending inevitable labor cuts, the Star Tribune spends a bit north of $20 million on its newsroom. So the HuffPo-wrangled dough represents less than one-tenth of the cost of one Midwestern newspaper's news budget.
Internet seer Jeff Jarvis — writing for HuffPo! — makes the sensible point that not all of newsroom spending goes toward investigations. He's surely right.
But will HuffPo's 10 staffers "who primarily coordinate stories with freelancers" produce more quality investigations than the Strib in a year? Whatever you think of the local paper's quality, I won't bet on it.
The fund — which will concentrate on economic stories — could surprise me, though. As HuffPo showed with its "Off the Bus" campaign experiment, staffers combined with networked writers (in the "Bus" case, amateurs) can be impressively synergistic.
Quality investigations are a tougher test than overhearing Barack Obama diss hillbillies, but presumably the freelance writers will be more savvy. Any chance they'll be compensated accordingly?
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Mr. David,
Glad to see some in the pursuit of good jouranalizim still have a sense of humor by gollie, by jang. Now who could ever question Arianna on anything----SHE IS A STAR in her own crowd for sure, and most of them are social-lites as well---- get that lites---. Heck up thar in Mennessottttta do they have a term for GOLD DIGGER? Other than what some of us way down past the Mason Dixon line think of when that term jumps up and bites a fellar his wallet? So down here in Texas when one like Arianna shows up we just get to boot and scooting right out of the way for fear she might get to gold digging.
Now to the point if I can remember. Heck the HUFFUN—POSTUN might just be her calling card------------- ya yes. It might be the star power she needs to do her thang. By jang. I head tell that an X of hers had big bucks and she got sum of it. But to be a star--- more than big bucks is needed to get one to the podium to use it as a bully pulpit. Now down here in Texas the ole BUSH BUNCH GANG OF THUGS got a lot more press when they got star power like that. It took more than just some of those big stolen bucks that dad had. And if that needs a little more esplaining here it is. The WAR ON TERROR opened them all up to use the bully pulpit ---- boys up thar in that frozen Mennessottttta most of the year, ya here.
Well tell you one more thag by jang Mr. David---- don’t know----- body hold their breath for getting a check from MS Arianna.
Last little thought I have been waiting for a long time for someone else to notice that gets and deserves notice of MS Arianna doing her thang by jang.
DWIGHT BAKER Chairman Grass Roots Actions needed to form our own truth filled lobby in Washington DC.
We the Peoples Advocacy
My hometown Eagle Pass TX Where about 90% of the indigenous folks from here --- have made a decent wage from the folks in Minnesota and that they and me alike appreciate.
Contact dbaker007@stx.rr.com