By NYU Staff

( Evan Smith, CEO and Editor of the Texas Tribune. Photo by Joel Salcido)

Thousands of reporters have been laid off, but some are finding jobs over at newly-launched websites like the Texas Tribune. The public media company opened for business following an intense period geared toward raising most of the four million dollars that was targeted by the site’s launch date. “There is clearly a need for aggressive journalism,” said the website’s CEO and Editor in Chief Evan Smith. “People believe in what we are doing.”

After seeing many news organizations fail, editors like Smith are hoping that the non-profit models do pan out. And so far they seem to be surviving with names like, Pro Publica, Mother Jones, Spot.Us, and many others managing to tickle the fancies of donors who want to see journalism thrive, and in fact believe that this model might well be the future.

Voice of San Diego is another non-profit online newspaper proving that this model works, at least thus far. “At a time when for-profit companies are shedding jobs and shrinking rapidly, it surprises me sometimes how often people question the sustainability of the non-profit model,” said Editor Andrew Donohue. With a budget of slightly more than one million for this year, the company has received 40 percent of its donations from foundations, 30 percent from large donors, and the remaining 30 percent from small donors and corporate sponsorships.

But the funding for these models contrasts with many of the financial problems that the print journalism industry is facing. According to the Newspaper Association of America, 2008 was one of the worst years for the newspaper industry. There was a reported decline of almost 17 percent when both print and online is taken into account, which equates to almost $8 billion– less than it was in 2007.

Funding issues may abound in one form or another, but there are other challenges that organizations like these face. Many of these sites have taken a very niche approach to journalism, opting mostly to cover specific local issues. The Texas Tribune for instance, whose prime focus is to cover the political affairs of the state recently bypassed covering the Ft. Hood massacre, despite its close proximity. But, Smith makes no apologies for his decision. “There is always the risk of being too niche,” he said. “But if something happens that does not fit into what we cover, it doesn’t mean that we must do it just for the sake of it.”

Huffington Post media blogger Karthika Muthukumaraswamy says, “Perhaps even a few years ago, it would have been outrageous for a Texas-based news organization not to cover a story as big as the Fort Hood shootings. But in today’s Internet world, there is no need for the site to add to such information overload.”

Digital journalist Leah Betancourt echoes similar sentiments saying, “Indie news sites need to have a value proposition for their site visitors. If that means in-depth analysis and coverage on the state capitol events, then that’s what their focus should be.”

Organizations like the Texas Tribune, The Voice of San Diego and others, have arguably injected a sense of hope into the industry. But like with anything that is new and different, questions of sustainability and goal reality will arise.

Read on here:

What If: The Non-Profit Media Model

The Rise of the Non-Profit News Model

A Nonprofit Times?