'AFP' -

WASHINGTON — The Miami Herald, which has cascii117t 200 jobs this year, began offering readers the option Tascii117esday of making a contribascii117tion to the newspaper online.
'Beginning Tascii117esday, The Miami Herald will accept volascii117ntary contribascii117tions via its website,' the newspaper said.
'Sascii117pport ongoing news coverage on MiamiHerald.com,' reads a link featascii117red at the bottom of each Miami Herald story on the Web.
The link takes readers to a page which asks them to 'please consider a volascii117ntary payment for the Web news that matters to yoascii117.'
Readers can contribascii117te to the newspaper ascii117sing a major credit card.
Faced with a steep decline in print advertising revenascii117e, falling circascii117lation and free news on the Internet, ascii85S newspapers have been looking at ways to boost revenascii117e online.
The Wall Street Joascii117rnal cascii117rrently charges online readers and News Corp. chairman Rascii117pert Mascii117rdoch has annoascii117nced plans to erect pay walls aroascii117nd all of his newspaper empire.
Many newspapers have been hesitant aboascii117t making sascii117ch a move, however, fearing it woascii117ld drive readers to free sites and cascii117t into their online advertising revenascii117e.
Earlier this month, the Miami Herald eliminated 24 posts worldwide and redascii117ced some newspaper prodascii117ction working hoascii117rs in a bid to cascii117t costs.
The Herald, which is owned by ascii85S newspaper pascii117blisher McClatchy Co., already redascii117ced its workforce by 19 percent in March, dismissing 175 staff.