Michele McLellan has compiled a reasonable view of 66 local U.S. news sites and determined that roughly half are profitable and many more optimistic of sustainable times ahead.
Naturally, it isn't surprising that organizations are optimistic --- it would be a surprise if they weren't --- but the survey indicates financial operations are profitable in about half of the cases the Reynolds Journalism Institute surveyed.
Moreover, profitability may be around the corner for many others, since the survey included many start-ups. One central concern: Balancing the effort to create content with the need to drive revenue. For smaller outfits, this is a difficult balancing act.