By Kaki Bedal
At a glance, using Google search, here’s a little info on the cost of running a news portal.
One, in terms of web hosting, it can be between US$100 to US$500 a year.
That might be low, but be aware that if a website has a lot of traffic, the operator may need to upgrade to prevent the site from crashing, meaning even higher than the amount above is needed.
Two, if a website has a lot of traffic, the operator might be required to invest in their own servers.
If that’s the case, it can cost the operator between US$5,000 to US$20,000 a year. And three, depending on the size of a newsroom, an average cost in terms of journalists salaries and benefits is reportedly from US$2.5 to US$3.5 billion a year.
No need for yours truly to change the US dollars to ringgit. The cost is quite high.
The challenge is of course about how the operator can get funds to keep it running.
Ads are among the most needed to keep it going. Funders or individuals interested to help is another. But it is a big ask. Even traditional media is in need of the same and judging from their profit and loss statements, the issue remains pertinent.
It is common to perceive that politicians are the most willing to ‘invest’ though it is not a guarantee and it comes with certain ‘conditions.’
It is perhaps time for others like seasoned academicians or academic institutions to lend a hand.
While they themselves are of course in need of funds, a few percentages of allocations can be made to help out news portals of their preference, perhaps.
For a start, I suggest an individual to fund RM10 either to advertise or to put their opinion and article in a news portal of their preference.
We have many academicians. They should be able to assist in making Malaysia’s news portal to be in a healthy position in the long term.
A head of a university, for example, has enough clout to be of help. Influential people can play a significant role. This also goes to influencers in other sectors and institutions to do the same.
Such investment can even help grow new media players and journalists.
- The writer is convinced that the average joe and professionals can help our news portals be sustainable.
