Earlier this week, Russian journal and founder/editor-in-chief of the Kommersant Newspaper, Vladimir Yakovlev, turned to crowdfunding giant Kickstarter with a brand new project that will hopefully improve the media in his country.
Explaining details about the campaign, Yakovlev stated:
“Russia today is torn by hatred caused by a multimillion-dollar state propaganda machine. This is a real danger for an entire world as we know it. People hate each other. They have a terrible delusion that Russia is surrounded by enemies. Recent murder of opposition politician Boris Nemtsov is just one of numerous casualties of state-funded hatred campaign.
“Now, more than ever, we need a new independent media to unite the best journalists by common goal: to stop propaganda of hatred; to find a way to resist the madness that is tearing apart an entire country bringing it closer and closer to a horrible social disaster.
“I want to start this new media project as soon as possible. It will be a powerful, formidable, effective multi-media platform free of political control and Kremlin power. I am no politician, but I am good in creating media, as my readers know. I appeal to everybody, but first and foremost to the former readers of Kommersant. I am asking you for help.
“The principles of democracy and freedom of the first Russian independent newspaper helped you to build your fortunes, alongside with your personal talents and courage. In today’s Russia these principles are destroyed. Main question today is not a survival of business or democracy anymore, but an actual survival of the country.
“We need Kommersant, again, not the way it is now, but the way it used to be. If Kremlin media is so good in turning people into zombies, why can’t we create a media to turn zombies back to people?”
Revealing how he plans to carry out this new media project, Yakovlev noted:
“We put together an enthusiastic team of best and brightest independent journalists and experts. They have to be at least modestly compensated for their efforts. Any help will do. We will deeply appreciate your participation and mention each and everyone of you at our site, some of you, with the biggest bids, on the front page. We need money to create the whole concept, start with the web platform, make content and build audience.”
Those who back the project will receive rewards such as a thank you postcard, posters, and even an honorable mention on the front page of the media platform.
Yakovlev’s campaign is set to close on April 9th.
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