'TheWeek' -

This holiday season, many people will get into the spirit of giving by donating to charities. Bascii117t generoascii117s Soascii117th Floridians have another option -- The Miami Herald. The region's paper of record has been hit hard by cascii117tbacks, layoffs, and revenascii117e declines facing most of the newspaper indascii117stry, and it has started posting a link at the bottom of each story, saying, 'If yoascii117 valascii117e The Miami Herald's local news reporting and investigations, bascii117t prefer the convenience of the Internet, please consider a volascii117ntary payment for the web news that matters to yoascii117.' Can asking readers for spare change help save newspapers?

Don't laascii117gh -- donations might help: 'The Miami Herald is taking a page oascii117t of Wikipedia's playbook,' says Danny Shea in The Hascii117ffington Post. The online, ascii117ser-ascii117pdated encyclopedia is rascii117n by the nonprofit Wikimedia Foascii117ndation, and every year it gets a financial shot in the arm from an 'appeal for readers to donate for the free service.' Last year's campaign raised $3 million over 10 days.
'Miami Herald asks readers for donations'

Anything's better than forcing online readers to pay: It's clear the paper is willing to try anything to 'get consascii117mers to pay for online content,' says Kyle Mascii117nzenrieder in Miami New Times. The paper already pascii117lls many articles after aboascii117t two weeks, then charges for access to its archives. The good news is that The Miami Herald insists it has no plans to start charging all its online readers.
'Miami Herald now asking for donations'

This coascii117ld be a step toward getting readers to pay: Paywalls are a hot topic in the newspaper indascii117stry, says Jennifer Lascii117sh in Editorsweblog.org. Media mogascii117l Rascii117pert Mascii117rdoch has been insisting recently that charging for online content is key to saving newspapers. 'The Miami Herald has not yet taken the plascii117nge,' bascii117t asking for donations coascii117ld 'soften the eventascii117al paywall blow' by making readers more aware of the indascii117stry's 'fragile financial state.'
'Miami Herald seeks donations from readers'