Success! Funding Target Exceeded -> Supporting Independent Investigative Journalism: Scoop

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Linuxluver

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#196698 9-Jun-2016 18:42

Update: Scoop's PledgeMe crowdfunding drive closed yesterday having reached 108% of target.

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I've seem several threads in recent months about the quality of journalism in New Zealand.

One option for people who want something better is to support people who are trying to do something better.

scoop.co.nz is 17 years old tomorrow (Friday, June 10th).

They are operating on a crowdfunded basis with commercial users able to purchase licenses for the content - voluntarily. Because they value what is being offered.

Scoop publish, in full, a wide range of press releases from all manner of organisations. All in one place. No one else does this. Plus they write original content and have a presence in the Parliamentary Press Gallery.

If you want something better, you can support their PledgeMe campaign here.

The founding editor was Alistair Thompson, who recently left to go to Europe. The new editor is Gordon Campbell....as well known and serious journalist of the sort who deserves support. The Scoop staff are small (3)......but we can help that right here, right now.

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DaveB

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#1568883 9-Jun-2016 18:58

Gosh, I didn't know they were still going.

Linuxluver

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#1568888 9-Jun-2016 19:17

DaveB:

Gosh, I didn't know they were still going.

Better than ever in many ways. At least they now have 3 paid staff. Last year put them on a solid footing and the new structure and funding model has helped a lot. Their PledgeMe campaign last year raised over $56,000. This year they are only looking for $17,000 as they are also receiving revenue from the licenses and memberships. It's a good start. The more people who support it, the better it will get.

Scoop is now owned by the Scoop Foundation. So it's locally (NZ) owned and controlled.

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Linuxluver

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#1571523 14-Jun-2016 10:54

Update: Scoop's PledgeMe crowdfunding drive closed yesterday having reached 108% of target.

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freitasm

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#1571533 14-Jun-2016 11:02

Scoop runs this campaign every few months. Is that the only way to be sustainable?

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Linuxluver

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#1571536 14-Jun-2016 11:11

freitasm:

Scoop runs this campaign every few months. Is that the only way to be sustainable?

True. The most recent one was to set up the foundation. That was $50,000.

The way I read it, they are seeking crowdfunding to cover the gap in the budget between revenue from ads / licences and projected spending. The idea was that the $17,000 is a sign of success as the majority of the costs are being met from other revenues. The idea is that it will be self-sustaining soon / eventually.

The prospects are good. Many people want an alternative to the foreign-owned corporate media with it's US State Department news narrative. The only way to get that is to pay for it one way or another.

I admire both the new editor, Gordon Campbell and the previous editor, Alistair Thompson.

As you can see from the PledgeMe page, the contributers were just over 300. Imagine what could be done if it were 1000.....out of 4.5 million. I've found the biggest problem is making people aware of it. Once they know about it, there isn't much debate about its worth.

What do you think?

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JimmyH

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#1571995 14-Jun-2016 22:03

Linuxluver:

The prospects are good. Many people want an alternative to the foreign-owned corporate media with it's US State Department news narrative. The only way to get that is to pay for it one way or another.

There are many news sources that don't fit that sweeping generalisation. Off the top of my head, list of reputable sources that I don't think you can remotely claim to be just parroting a US State Department narrative would include: Al Jazeera, Der Spiegel, and the Guardian. Heck, even major US sources (eg the New York Times, the Washington Post), aren't exactly uncritical mouthpieces of the US Govt.

Back to Scoop, I didn't even realise it was still a thing. I haven't been to it in years.

What I remember wouldn't exactly qualify as a hard news and analysis site. Mostly it seemed to consist of verbatim reproductions of huge numbers of press releases, mostly from political parties and NGOs, leavened with grumpy left wing polemics from a small stable of commentators who were incapable of moving on from endlessly trying to re-litigate what Roger Douglas did.

Has it improved much since then?

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Linuxluver

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#1571998 14-Jun-2016 22:07

JimmyH:
Linuxluver:

The prospects are good. Many people want an alternative to the foreign-owned corporate media with it's US State Department news narrative. The only way to get that is to pay for it one way or another.

There are many news sources that don't fit that sweeping generalisation. Off the top of my head, list of reputable sources that I don't think you can remotely claim to be just parroting a US State Department narrative would include: Al Jazeera, Der Spiegel, and the Guardian. Heck, even major US sources (eg the New York Times, the Washington Post), aren't exactly uncritical mouthpieces of the US Govt.

Back to Scoop, I didn't even realise it was still a thing. I haven't been to it in years.

What I remember wouldn't exactly qualify as a hard news and analysis site. Mostly it seemed to consist of verbatim reproductions of huge numbers of press releases, mostly from political parties and NGOs, leavened with grumpy left wing polemics from a small stable of commentators who were incapable of moving on from endlessly trying to re-litigate what Roger Douglas did.

Has it improved much since then?

I was referring to NZ media. I should made that more clear.

The world is busy dealing with the damage done by neo-liberalism. Looks like Scoop was ahead of its time in that regard. .

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JimmyH

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#1572003 14-Jun-2016 22:31

Linuxluver:

I was referring to NZ media. I should made that more clear.

The world is busy dealing with the damage done by neo-liberalism. Looks like Scoop was ahead of its time in that regard. .

Each to their own I guess. It's pretty clear from the references you make that you aren't a fan of what you generically call neo-liberalism.

Personally, I'm old enough to remember what the country was like before 1984 and, overall, I like the changes.

In particular:

I like I can freely change my money into another currency, and travel or buy things from sources such as Amazon, without having to apply to the Reserve Bank for permission to convert my own money for something as mundane as a trip to Aus or an overseas magazine subscription.
I like the fact that shop shelves contain a wide range of products from around the world, for me to choose from.
I like competition forcing previously cosseted NZ firms to compete on price, service and quality if they want to survive. Footwear and clothing are actually affordable.
I like the fact that my superannuation fund can diversify my risk exposure around the world.
I like not having to belong to a union if I don't want to.
I like low inflation.
I like being able to determine the terms on which I work, what I choose to spend my money on, where I invest my savings - rather than having politicians make those decisions for me.

Even North Korea and Cuba are having to face reality and introduce farmers markets and free enterprise, where supply and demand determine prices, in order to try and get enough food produced and introduce some life into their moribund economies.

Linuxluver

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#1576234 18-Jun-2016 16:00

JimmyH:

Linuxluver:

I was referring to NZ media. I should made that more clear.

The world is busy dealing with the damage done by neo-liberalism. Looks like Scoop was ahead of its time in that regard. .

Each to their own I guess. It's pretty clear from the references you make that you aren't a fan of what you generically call neo-liberalism.

Personally, I'm old enough to remember what the country was like before 1984 and, overall, I like the changes.

In particular:

I like I can freely change my money into another currency, and travel or buy things from sources such as Amazon, without having to apply to the Reserve Bank for permission to convert my own money for something as mundane as a trip to Aus or an overseas magazine subscription.
I like the fact that shop shelves contain a wide range of products from around the world, for me to choose from.
I like competition forcing previously cosseted NZ firms to compete on price, service and quality if they want to survive. Footwear and clothing are actually affordable.
I like the fact that my superannuation fund can diversify my risk exposure around the world.
I like not having to belong to a union if I don't want to.
I like low inflation.
I like being able to determine the terms on which I work, what I choose to spend my money on, where I invest my savings - rather than having politicians make those decisions for me.
Even North Korea and Cuba are having to face reality and introduce farmers markets and free enterprise, where supply and demand determine prices, in order to try and get enough food produced and introduce some life into their moribund economies.

I deal in more colours than black and white. I voted for the changes in 1984, too. They were mostly good.

But some weren't...and where they see the economic standing or ordinary people systematically undermined and degraded for the benefit of a few - with no effective means of redress - I consider that bad.

You're lucky you to be able to determine the terms on which you work. Most people can't. They get the "my way or the highway" industrial relations strategy. The test is....what do your kids face? Baby boomers have had it lucky. Not so much their kids.

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BarTender

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#1576309 18-Jun-2016 19:07

JimmyH: I like low inflation.

I think if you ask anyone looking to purchase their first house in Auckland while not having assistance from their parents. I suspect they may disagree.

Edit, found something from RBNZ.