Rent a reporter

People are trying to find new ways to fund reporting, particularly investigative reporting. Here's one enterprising approach: journalists passing around the tin cup. Check out Spot.Us, the clever name for a web site at which people in the community (for now, just the SF Bay Area) can fund reporting via small donations. It won't take the place of salaried jobs, but those aren't exactly proliferating. In the meanwhile, why not consider becoming a rent-a-reporter?