From last week (via Martin Stabe) but worth a mention: ESPN has a report on Mark Zuckerman, a US sports reporter who is supporting his site by reader donations.
Built on $20-60 donations, Zuckerman has raised more than $10,000 to support the site and cover his costs while working. Essentially ‘hired’ by his donors, he is particularly responsive to questions and feedback on the coverage from his audience and tries to answer readers’ queries with his reporting:
Like his patrons, Zuckerman is getting something extra: a rekindled passion for his work. While driving to Florida, he blogged from a roadside rest stop about the Nationals signing Ron Villone. During his first day at spring training, he broke news that probable starting pitcher Ross Detwiler would miss 10 weeks following surgery on a torn hip flexor. Without the space restrictions of a newspaper, Zuckerman can write what he wants when he wants to write it; with greater reader interaction, he can tailor his information for the people who value it most.