The journalism industry is missing what’s going on … oddly enough since they’re supposed to be the ones that are tuned in. I’m an oddball in many ways, but I don’t think I’m an oddball when it comes to how I follow “the news” (whatever the fuck that is, and I admit I’m starting to wonder if it isn’t all just made-up bullshit, but that’s another story.)

The thing is, while the old “subscription” model worked during the age when pubescent boys rode bikes through neighborhoods in early mornings, throwing rolled-up dead trees onto front porches, the world is a different place now, and subscribing to this or that newspaper or magazine doesn’t make sense because there are no dead trees being tossed over lawns or sent through the mail.

I read the Post whenever Google or Digg or somebody like that sends me an interesting header. Or the Times (NY or LA or Seattle or wherever), or the Observer or the Guardian or whatever. Months might go by between the times that I happen to land on any particular newspaper’s website, so why on earth would I shell out money regularly … yes, even 99¢ … just for the privilege of reading one article?

Yes, I get how making me pay a subscription will supposedly drive me to come back often and take advantage of my purchase. But, you know what? I have a life, and it’s short, and there’s a ton of stuff out there, so given the choice between committing money and binding myself to read this or that brand, I’ll opt for paying zero and scanning the headlines.

So how can they pay for all their reporters and editors and artists and what-not? Here’s my idea:

Create an industry consortium that hosts a website (or app) where people can deposit small amounts of money — say ten bucks or something — and then each consortium member can post its teasers or headlines with a little box showing what I’d have to pay to read the article: I’m thinking maybe a penny or a nickel or something trivial like that.

I see that, I think, “Sure, I’ll gladly pay that!” I click the box, my prepaid account gets debited the amount, I read the article, the writers and editors and artists get paid, I’m not obligated to come back on account of having invested anything for a whole month and everybody’s happy.

At least I think everybody’s happy. Maybe there are some highly-paid executives that would get the short end of the stick, so maybe that’s why it won’t happen. I don’t know, I’m just an old guy, so don’t listen to me.