By David Brauer | Published Mon, Jun 8 2009 11:41 am
... the Uptake essentially funded its groundbreaking recount work and subsequent legislative coverage on its own and via small donors.
"We're in a period where we have very little money," Barnett conceded in late May, which he called "the worst time" the group has had in the past year ...
If Barnett was paying everyone on his core staff, The Uptake's expenses would run about $16,000 to $20,000 a month — a quarter-million-buck-a-year operation. For now, only two workers get paid: uber-staffer Jennifer Whigham and reporter Noah Kunin. Uptake mainstays such as Barnett, Mike McIntee and Chuck Olsen get bupkis.
Such volunteering makes The Uptake an $8,000-a-month deal currently, which includes not only coverage but training dozens of citizen journalists ...
http://www.minnpost.com/braublog/2009/06/08/9372/after_the_senate_fight_whats_next_for_the_uptake