I had no idea body cam footage cost $1000

'Behind the story' costs get readers paying the freight for the footage

Author

Lex Roman
December 14, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

Your readers don’t know what your reporting costs.

They can guess what you need to get paid but they have no idea about things like public records fees, tech subscriptions, freelancer rates, legal help and travel expenses.

Amy Bushatz recently found out what happens when you tell them.

Amy is the publisher behind the Mat-Su Sentinel, out of Alaska. She was covering a story about why a local police chief was put on administrative leave which involved an interaction caught on body cam.

Body cam footage that cost $1000 to obtain.

So Amy told her readers that. And their reaction serves a shining example of how well cost transparency works.

I thought Amy’s execution of this ask was flawless and I knew you had to see it too.

In today’s issue, how you can use cost transparency to get readers shelling out more cash to fund your work featuring three publishers who nailed it.

Lex Roman

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When readers know more, they give more

The full story cost $1000 extra

Publisher: Amy Bushatz of Mat-Su Sentinel
Channel: Newsletter
Placement: Part of the story

Amy opened a recent newsletter with the story of the police chief being ousted. She was the only outlet that had the transcript explaining why but she also wanted the footage…and she knew her readers would too.

She hooked them right in to the story, and then, served up the kicker that they could have the footage but it costs $1000 she couldn’t afford to spend.

Plugging in the donation link right beside this revelation so you cannot miss your opportunity to make it happen for the next story.

Example from the Mat-Su Sentinel

🎯 How we know it works: Amy said this drove a couple thousand dollars in donations and also, it received a high rate of reader replies. Readers were stunned about the cost and validated for Amy that they didn’t realize public records can cost money.

✏️ Why it works: It’s tied into the hook of a compelling story. It’s a single cost that directly affects how you experience that story. If you want to see the footage in the future, it has a clear benefit for you. The link to pay money is right next to the ask.

This operation runs on $16,280 a month

Publisher: Matt Kiser of What the Fuck Just Happened Today
Channel: Website
Placement: FAQ page

When Matt Kiser went full time on What the Fuck Just Happened Today, it was because his MailChimp costs were rising fast. His first appeal to his readers was driven by this expense and they came through to pay for it—contributing over $30k in less than one day.

Matt’s continued in that tradition, sharing very detailed cost breakdowns that help readers understand what they are paying for. His FAQ page is itemized better than most tax returns.

Example from What the Fuck Just Happened Today

🎯 How we know it works: I actually don’t know that this specific page works, but Matt’s overall transparent approach is how he’s been 100% reader funded with a $200k annual operating budget for the last 7 years.

✏️ Why it works: It’s detailed as hell and the cost breakdown makes logical sense. It also surfaces a bunch of costs readers would have no idea about like paying for a site search tool. This page is linked from the membership page for the people who are deep diving.

The fees alone were $6,105.30

Publisher: Seamus Hughes of Court Watch
Channel: Newsletter
Placement: Inside an anniversary direct reader appeal

I could not have been the only one who was surprised to learn that Seamus wasn’t being compensated for his exceptional pace of story breaking.

But when you contribute to a writer, you sort of assume the money is mostly going to them. In the case of Court Watch, it’s not. They pay exorbitant PACER fees to access the court filings that other journalists rely on them digging up.

$6,105.30 in fees this year alone.

Making this and other costs crystal clear in the anniversary appeal is how Seamus ended this year in the green.

Example from Court Watch

🎯 How we know it works: Seamus told me “Between subscriptions and Venmo support, we got the equivalent of 60 new paid yearly subscribers” the day this was sent out.

✏️ Why it works: It uses very specific numbers that indicate Seamus calculated them. It surfaces a few costs readers were likely not aware of like trademarking. And it points out that the reporters are essentially paying out of pocket to report the stories while also not making any money in wages. They’re not complaining but also, wouldn’t it be great to get paid!

Your readers know you need money. They don’t know how much.

Your readers love you but they’re not going about their day thinking of your expenses or the tradeoffs you might have to make in light of them. You have to tell them, and when you tell them with hard numbers, the need comes into focus fast and those wallets come out.

Take a cue from Amy, Matt and Seamus and consider cluing your readers into your costs in your next appeal.

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