User:Harkiret/sandbox

Journalism

In order to fund online and print publications, journalists are enlisting the help of crowdfunding. Crowdfunding allows for small start-ups and individual journalists to fund their work without the institutional help of major public broadcasters. Stories are publicly pitched using crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter, Indiegogo, or Spot.us. The funds collected from crowdsourcing are put toward travel expenses, or purchasing equipment. Crowdfunding in journalism may also be viewed as a way to allow audiences to participate in news production and creating a participatory culture. Though deciding which stories are published is a role that traditionally belongs to editors at more established publications, the public decides which stories are are reported through funding certain reporters and their pitches. Donating can be seen as an act that "bonds" reporters and their readers because readers are expressing interest for their work, which can be seen as "personally motivating" or "gratifying".

Spot.us is a crowdfunding platform that is specifically meant for journalism. The website allows for readers, individual donors, registered Spot.us reporters, or news organizations to fund or donate talent toward a pitch of their choosing. While funders are not normally involved in editorial control, Spot.us allows for donors or "community members" to become involved with the co-creation of a story. This gives them the ability to edit articles, submit photographs, or share leads and information.

Traditionally, journalists are not involved in advertising and marketing. This is because crowdfunding means that journalists are attracting funders while trying to remain independent, which may pose as a conflict. Therefore, being directly involved with financial aspects can call journalistic integrity and journalistic objectivity into question. This is because journalists may feel some pressure or "a sense of responsibility" toward funders who support a particular project. Crowdfunding can also allow for blurred line between professional and non-professional journalism because if enough interest is generated, anyone may have their work published.

Extra Info to add, (positive content)

Larger crowdfunding platforms such as Indiegogo or Kickstarter which are not journalism specific, may garner more success for projects. This is because these large-scale platforms can allow for journalists to reach new audiences. In 2017, 2.3 million out of Kickstarter's 7.9 million users had donated toward more than one project.