The Miami Herald came up with an innovative way of generating that elusive online revenue in the weeks leading up to Christmas last year. No, they didn't plan to increase advertising or to put up paywalls. Their plan wasn't even a paid mobile application.

Instead, they asked readers of their online edition for donations.

And according to Executive Editor Anders Gyllenhaal, early signs are that it's working.

"The first few days of this experiment have elicited an encouraging steam of gifts, ranging from $2 to $55," he wrote in an article. "They've also provoked an array of reactions, here and across the country, since this has drawn attention as the first effort of its kind."

In fact, the initiative was started after a loyal reader called the newspaper and asked if he could make a donation to support one of the paper's investigative projects, Gyllenhaal said.

"Some readers say they see this as a logical step, while others have made fun of the move," he added. "Some think that including the form with stories is an awkward step, while others think we're being too low-key about it and should come on stronger with the appeal."

Asking readers for donations certainly works for Wikipedia. And even if it's not a way of economically sustaining the news publishing industry, maybe it could still help.

Source: The Miami Herald