Nats beat writer asks blog readers to send him to spring training

Smasher_Sloan · Feb 10, 2010

Re: Former Nats beat writer asks blog readers to send him to spring training

BYH said:

People aren't buying online subs, though...anywhere. Newsday.com has 35 subscribers. Granted, that's because Long Islanders hate Cablevision, but still. That is a pretty damning indictment of how long there is to go before readers find it necessary to pay for content.

But I think the donation thing flies, b/c it's a one-time thing and nobody's worried about getting billed on an annual basis from now until the end of time. The reader still feels as if he's getting free content...he's just chipping in a little bit to assure some coverage over six weeks.

I can see why you're skeptical of the practice, but also why the sites in Cincy and DC are doing this.
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From what I've read here, there are 132 people putting up the money for the spring training trip.

Moderator1 · Feb 10, 2010

Re: Former Nats beat writer asks blog readers to send him to spring training

Still growing - the number will continue to grow, too.
Problem is, the money is just covering his expenses. He's not getting paid out of that.
Yet!

BB Bobcat · Feb 10, 2010

Re: Former Nats beat writer asks blog readers to send him to spring training

I do wonder about the tax question raised earlier. Anyone have an answer to that?

crimsonace · Feb 10, 2010

Re: Former Nats beat writer asks blog readers to send him to spring training

BB Bobcat said:

I do wonder about the tax question raised earlier. Anyone have an answer to that?
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You report all of this as small business income, and therefore deduct all expenses. Income - expenses = profit.

Only the profits are taxed. Losses can actually be carried forward to a succeeding year and applied to that year's taxes. That's why otherwise-profitable businesses will keep a money-sucking affiliate alive, for the tax writeoff.

BB Bobcat · Feb 10, 2010

Re: Former Nats beat writer asks blog readers to send him to spring training

crimsonace said:

That's why otherwise-profitable businesses will keep a money-sucking affiliate alive, for the tax writeoff.
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See, newspapers will always have a place in the business world

BrianMcDowell · Feb 10, 2010

Re: Former Nats beat writer asks blog readers to send him to spring training

Pardon this question from a naive newbie that's never covered spring training before.....but, as far as expenses go, couldn't a month of coverage be done well for cheaper than 5,000 dollars?

Brian McDowell

Moderator1 · Feb 10, 2010

Re: Former Nats beat writer asks blog readers to send him to spring training

Do the math - a hotel and food for six weeks adds up quickly. 5,000 is cheap. His original budget was 7,500 but he's going to cut corners (though he may not have to given the way he's rolling in the cash)

Cousin Jeffrey · Feb 10, 2010

Re: Former Nats beat writer asks blog readers to send him to spring training

He's around $7,500 now, averaging just under $37 a donation. Pretty nice haul.

henryhenry · Feb 10, 2010

Re: Former Nats beat writer asks blog readers to send him to spring training

VJ said:

I didn't realize that you couldn't make your $10 Haiti donation if you sent $20 to a laid off reporter trying to cover spring training. One donation doesn't make the other impossible.

And if we're trying to get on a moral high ground, why spend any money on entertainment when you could be giving it to charities and those less fortunate? It's a stupid and baseless argument.
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i guess it's stupid to put starving destitute people ahead of a laid-off sportswriter

RickStain · Feb 10, 2010

Re: Former Nats beat writer asks blog readers to send him to spring training

henryhenry said:

VJ said:

I didn't realize that you couldn't make your $10 Haiti donation if you sent $20 to a laid off reporter trying to cover spring training. One donation doesn't make the other impossible.

And if we're trying to get on a moral high ground, why spend any money on entertainment when you could be giving it to charities and those less fortunate? It's a stupid and baseless argument.
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i guess it's stupid to put starving destitute people ahead of a laid-off sportswriter
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It's stupid to put it as an either/or question.

And it's stupid to assume that any given donation will make a difference between them being starving and/or destitute or not.

Pete Incaviglia · Feb 10, 2010

Re: Former Nats beat writer asks blog readers to send him to spring training

Smasher_Sloan said:

OK, I'll reluctantly be the voice of dissent here.

I don't know the guy, but I genuinely feel bad that he was a victim of the Times cuts. I admire his ingenuity, but I'd feel better about this if he were selling subscriptions to a blog or a website rather than counting on direct contributions. It has that feel of "send a poor kid to camp this summer," and that's not good.

Beyond that, with all the needs in the world, doesn't someone feel odd about writing a check to send a writer to ST?

Again, if you're buying a sub to something, that's one thing. This has the feel of panhandling.
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Was Radiohead panhandling when the band asked people "to pay what they want" for that album of theirs back in 2007 I think it was?

henryhenry · Feb 10, 2010

Re: Former Nats beat writer asks blog readers to send him to spring training

RickStain said:

henryhenry said:

VJ said:

I didn't realize that you couldn't make your $10 Haiti donation if you sent $20 to a laid off reporter trying to cover spring training. One donation doesn't make the other impossible.

And if we're trying to get on a moral high ground, why spend any money on entertainment when you could be giving it to charities and those less fortunate? It's a stupid and baseless argument.
Click to expand...

i guess it's stupid to put starving destitute people ahead of a laid-off sportswriter
Click to expand...

It's stupid to put it as an either/or question.

And it's stupid to assume that any given donation will make a difference between them being starving and/or destitute or not.
Click to expand...

starving haitians or laid-off baseball writer. it's one or the other. guns or butter.

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Nats beat writer asks blog readers to send him to spring training

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