After asking readers for donations late last year, the Miami Herald has given up on the program, Reflections of a Newsosaur reports:

Herald officials steadfastly refused to detail the response to the novel program, which debuted in mid-December. However, Herald editor Anders Gyllenhaal said shortly before Christmas that “the first few days of this experiment have elicited an encouraging steam of gifts, ranging from $2 to $55.”

The paper published a short article on Saturday saying it decided to discontinue the program, without explaining the reasons for the decision or the amount of money that had been raised. UPDATE: In an email at mid-day (Monday), Gyllenhaal said the paper felt the request for reader donations conflicted with a campaign for Haiti earthquake relief that has raised more than $1 million.

So what do you think, has the Haiti earthquake claimed yet another victim in the Herald tip jar, or is this just an excuse to bail on a failed idea?

‘Tip jar’ vanishes at Miami Herald website [Reflections of a Newsosaur]

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