Post by Dan Gillmor about grassroots journalism and the need for new revenue models. This is something I have started to give a lot of thought to. After all, in some ways bloggers are part of the same long tail as the small business people using eBay and Amazon as transactional platforms and communities, making some money from their interests. Only, bloggers and local writers don't have a viable platform--yet. AdWords and affiliate relationships do not a livelihood make. --And yet, the role of big ticket brand advertising is also questionable.
So where's the money to come from?
That is a really interesting subject--what kind of new revenue models --and platforms--can we (in the community sense) develop to help grassroots journalists, bloggers and others in the long tale of niche/micropublishing make money?