This is a great place to get your name out! Pro Bono work for the most part, but providing aerial photos to the local rag in exchange for your name as contributor will get you noticed in your community!
The paper's sub editors, editors and owners get paid. the printer gets paid.... or do they all work for nothing too?
Are you really happy that the paper is making money off the back of your investment and expertise?
How big is 'your town'? Ours has a population of about 9000, I doubt there is much to be gained from our local rag. I work for our National papers over here, but i don't let them have images for nothing.First off WELCOME to the forum.
To the point, just because the above business model doesn't work for you doesn't mean it won't work for someone else. Our company is about to "officially" turn 9 years old and to date we have never paid for a single advertisement. We have an "Agreement" with a local news agency in regards to advertising. They give me a call if they have something "specific" they want shot otherwise we just give them local shots of the area to use as they wish and in exchange they promote our company weekly. Our company has hit 6-figures and we have to figure a lot of our exposure comes from our "Agreement".
How big is 'your town'? Ours has a population of about 9000, I doubt there is much to be gained from our local rag. I work for our National papers over here, but i don't let them have images for nothing.