First crowd funded journalism article is published
Australia’s first piece of crowd-funded journalism has been published.
YouCommNews – created last year by Swinburne University’s Public Interest Journalism Foundation – raised $878 to fund a series by journalist Toula Mantis looking at individuals suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome.
The first article of the ten part series has been published on the YouCommNews website, and is open to other organisations to republish under a creative commons license.
A total of 17 people donated the cash.
YouCommNews allows journalists to pitch story ideas and allows people to donate cash to see the article get commissioned.
One media story awaiting commissioning is an investigation into the true cost of ABC News 24. Journalist Margaret Simons, a co-founder of YouCommNews, is looking to submit a freedom of information request to look at the budget of the new channel, which generally rates less than a 1% audience share. So far she has raised $100 of the $300 she is seeking, since pitching the story on July 30.
Most story pitches so far appear top have struggled to raise the funding they are seeking.
A pitch looking to raise $9,500 to look at forestry policy on the Solomon Islands has raised $20 since it was launched at the end of August. And a bid for $8,000 to look at selective schools has also only raised $20.
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
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What’s been forgotten here is that people follow the crowd.
The network effect – which this business is relying on – doesn’t just start itself; it needs fostering and in the early days, it needs a scaffold from which to form around.
This scaffold should be provided by the founders.
Why the founders wouldn’t create some momentum by ‘funding’ a few dozen stories themselves is beyond me. This would encourage others to get involved.
Do they really think it’ll just happen? Why would I fund a story if the founders can’t be bothered to fund the early stuff to get some momentum going?
Hi Zac, there aren’t any “founders” – the site is run by the Public Interest Journalism Foundation – a volunteer board who have given many hours and expertise for nothing to get this project up and running.
And yes, I’m on the board.
Publicity and traction are big obstacles and we are all short on time, but we’re committed to the site. We’re always looking for help, so if you feel you have some time, please let us know.
Thanks
Bronwen Clune
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Crowd funded journalism website in Australia run by journalists? good luck with it. How about websites such as ireport.com, allvoices.com, wikileaks.org and the others? I am sure there are a few of these in Australia as well.
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