Many newspaper reporters can lean on their unique knowledge of their beats and communities to break away from newspapers and carve niches as independent journalists. A former longtime arts/features staff writer with the St. Paul Pioneer Press, I took a buyout a year ago and am about to launch 3-Minute Egg (3minuteegg.org), where I'll cover the Twin Cities arts scene strictly through online video and podcasting.

This isn't freelancing -- this is entrepreneurial. When I formally launch Sept. 22 (I'm in pilot production now), I'll produce/post new videos every weekday from across the gamut of the local arts scene. Right out of the gates, I'll distinguish myself in the media landscape -- no other publication in the Twin Cities offers anything close to what I'm doing online. You'll be able to view my work on every popular online video channel, along with iTunes and my own site.

I'm creating a nonprofit model to draw income through a combination of sponsors, grants and donations. if I can attract just a few thousand free subscribers, 3-Minute Egg becomes very attractive to potential sponsors and potential media partners.

I've got a lot of work to do in the next month, and I'll post updates on my progress. Wish me luck! ...

I've had the same idea with my own beat, but of course not enough moolah prevents me from embarking on my dream. I can't afford to 1) be out of my the job I have now, and 2) afford a start-up.

Good luck to you and please share tips on financing!

I invested in my own high-def video cam with "pro" audio inputs ($1,850 / Sony HVR-A1), a Mac laptop ($1,450) and about $500 in support gear. So that's about it -- less than $4,000 -- and you can make my own way. You can do it for less with different equipment.

The point is, it's not cost prohibitive, when you look at the potential return (and the tax writeoff). I own a house and have no other income source, but after two decades in newspapers, I figure I only have one life to live, and I still have the energy to strike out on my own. And the worst that can happen? I go back to the job world -- much more marketable than when I left it.

Please keep us updated! I'm intensely interested -- I jumped overboard just last week, and I've been toying with entrepreuneurial ideas myself.

It's scary, but exciting!

I interview Matt on my blog. Here's the link.
http://whatthehellamidoing.wordpress.com/2008/09/02/hatching-a-plan-for-life-after-a-buyout/

Matt, I love your logo on your site.

I went independent about a year and a half ago, starting a site about pro and amateur video game competitions (the hip term is esports). It's www.getyourtournament.com. I've had to learn how to video edit, create podcasts, and that's on top of writing stories everyday. I only cover one state (California), and I have a lot of people asking when I'll be branching out. My hope is that by December, I'll have a big enough user base to where I can make a legitimate push to companies for advertising.

The nice thing is that there are programs and sites out there that can be implemented to draw people. I use Twitter as a scoreboard on tournament updates, and that's a good draw. I also used uStream to broadcast live tournaments. It's the little things like those that can bring in a few more eyeballs. And it doesn't cost anything.

I forgot who asked about costs; the camcorder I had (Canon ZR500) was less than $200, and I bought the Blue Snowball mic for $100.

--GCII

I formally launched (hatched) 3-Minute Egg today. I'll post new videos by 11 am every weekday. Check them out at http://3minuteegg.org, tell me what you think and subscribe for free, if you care to (subscriptions boost numbers, which I can take to potential sponsors and foundations).
- matt

Matt, I tired to get to your site from the facebook link but nothing happened. Want to check it out?
BTW, you're ahead of schedule aren't you?

for some reason, Facebook treats it as an internal link to some phantom Facebook page. I have to figure out how to link to external sites. In the meantime, you can plug in the URL on your own -- 3minuteegg.org ... as for my schedule, I'd hoped to get going by Sep 15 but thought I might have to wait til the 22nd. Turns out I had too much to go with to sit on it for an extra week.

Take a view and tell me what you think!
- matt

Wow. This is great. Congrats on a job well done. I loved the segment on the poster exhibition.

I've got the foundation set to go indy, but need to put a better financial cushion under myself before I can make the break. Still, things are moving fast to the point where that could become reality in the next two weeks.

I like the concept of your site!

I used to play competitively in the Southeast in fighting game tournaments during my college years so I appreciate the work that you do on covering the scene out there.

I run a similar enterprise now with Gaming Insurrection (www.gaminginsurrection.com). We deal with mostly retro games, but we do video and are trying to cover other stuff as time allows. Because of another recent layoff (like today) I now have more time to devote to it. I would love to get advertising and make it a legitimate business, but I don't know how.

I, too, have learned what you've learned about making podcasts, video and the like. I bought a voice recorder for my interviews, my digital camera doubles as a video camera (it can take sound as well) and I can record my games through a very nice device called the Pinnacle Video Transfer. I've spent probably $400 total, including the cost of running our site every three months.

We'll be bookmarking you and hopefully adding a blogroll list to add you on when we launch our new blog next month. Check us out and let me know what you think.

Great job -- gives hope to rest of the hopeless -- including me! I just can't seem to get my act together. :-)

At hometowntimes.com we are making every effort to provide a unique format and affordable business opportunity for displaced reporters, editors, salespersons who are ready to get back into, and give back to their communities. This is a field-proven franchise model that allows reporters to make their editorial and personal imprint in a hyper-local online news, information, events, and advertising site.

I hope many of you in the industry, whether currently employed or the victims of layoffs will research what we're doing at hometowntimes.com and see if there's anything there for you. Entry cost is <$5k and includes all training, a site for your community, and ongoing support of a nationwide network of your peers.

Your feedback and interest is appreciated. And if the timing and model is right for you, I welcome the chance to learn more about what you want to accomplish with your career, and it this is a fit.

http://smartnewsnc.com
A freelance news cooperative. A solution to consider. Spread the word.

A former newspaper reporter, I'm now a webmaster/pr professional/writer and editor, working out of an office with other independent creative types. Coworking may be the way of the future for writers, editors, programmers, videographers, etc.

www.carrborocoworking.com

Matt,

I'm looking at your #1 post on Facebook (Go Independent) and you mention needing a few thousand free subscribers. How does one subscribe? Steve Neary, Albuquerque.