But a number of small independent startups all over the world are staging a fightback. For example, when Siddharth Varadarajan’s news website The Wire was hit with a lawsuit, it should have been a disaster. Reader revenue made up 20% of the Wire’s income last year but will make up more than 40% this year. Membership and reader donations have become an important part of the model for sites which often have a very specific beat or service. The more the government puts pressure on us, the greater the likelihood that readers are going to come out and support us.

Source: The Guardian December 25, 2017 21:11 UTC