A crowdfunding campaign currently live on RocketHub aims to bring a funding solution to the dwindling discipline of long-form investigative journalism.
NEWSFREED aims to bring crowdsourcing and crowdfunding aspects to journalism, and the elevator pitch outlines a pretty cool product that could have some legs in the real world if the associated crowdfunding campaign can make it to its $40,000 goal.
From the campaign page…
NEWSFREED is simple. People want to hear about stories that matter. Journalists have the skill to tell them. Newsfreed brings them together.
Reporters submit ideas for pieces on under-reported issues, the editorial team makes sure they are viable and the projects are posted on the website.Users can browse hundreds of original stories and pledge money to support the ones they would like to have told. They can also suggest their own ideas for stories to the journalists.
Transparency is at the heart of Newsfreed. Reporters keep in touch with the supporters throughout the project, letting them know how things evolve and welcoming their feedback on the process. Once a piece is finished, those who pledged get exclusive access to it.
The campaign was launched by Laura Secorun and Michele Teodori, both of whom studied at City University, London. Obviously their passion for journalism is at the heart of the campaign, although I personally would have liked to see a breakdown of how the $40,000 is to be spent. Launching a product as described is a pretty large challenge. At any rate, we’ll be watching to see if this campaign can find success and result in a new platform for modern investigative journalism.
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