Crosscut, ex-Seattle Weekly tycoon David Brewster’s attempt to bring his lifelong dream of a Seattle New Republic to online life, may turn nonprofit in hopes of survival-thru-donations.

Mind you, Brewster’s initial concept didn’t have the greatest mass-appeal potential to begin with. And the online-ad market hasn’t yet matured to the point of supporting such a niche product with a small yet paid staff.

Still, this admission of need may signify another dead end in the ongoing drive, here and around the world, to find a path toward profitability for professional online journalism.