At Brave New Films we're doing our damnedest to get out there and tell stories that aren't being told. Getting our hands dirty with original reporting. These are films, but really it's more citizen journalism combined with citizen distribution -- using quick production cycles, cheap DVDs and distributed grassroots screenings.
And funding it all is a nightmare. Attacking the media establishment (outfoxed), and Hollywood's sugar daddy (wal-mart) makes a lot of funders scared.
So that's a big reason we use DVDs because at least we can sell those and have some kind of revenue stream. People are willing to pay for that (at least for now).
Steve Bryant
· 3 years ago
Hey Scott -- I dig your blog, been reading it for a week or so now.
I agree with both your general enthusiasm for and skepticism of citizen journalism. In regards to your comment about independent reporters, there are quite a few independent bloggers who have gone or are going to Iraq and other hot zones to report. Chris Allbritton from back-to-iraq.com is the first who comes to mind. Two years ago he raised $10,000 via his blog, travelled to Iraq, and did some original reporting. Today he freelances for Time from Beirut.
Scott Karp
· 3 years ago
Jim, if people will pay for the content itself -- that is the purest business model, which leaves you beholden to no one except your consumers. Much will depend on whether the "grassroots" approach can works as well for "cash on the barrel head" sales as it does for content creation and distribution.
Steve, thanks for the example of Chris Allbritton -- if anyone else has other examples, I'd love to learn more about them.
That Chris had to raise money through his blog to be able to risk his life in Iraq is exactly my concern -- "with no back-up, no bulletproof vest and no embedding." as Chris says on his blog -- independent voices need and deserve institutional support, whether we reform the old institutions and/or create new ones.
Karl
· 3 years ago
Here goes a challenge....
Here goes a strike against grassroots (efforts without $6million dollar backer) civil journalism sites....
Without naming any names....
A user on our site published two stories related to an event that occured late last year.
There was a firm related to this event - one with ALOT of financial resources and influence in our region.
The event was a disasterous flop - so much so it was covered by our local mainstream media.
Our user posted his opinion about the event and linked and quoted mainstream news stories about it.
The firm has filed suit against a number of folks involved and against smaller members of our mainstream media.
The firm has threatened us to remove those posts - due to the damages they are causing - or face consequences.
We have a pro bono law team. It will cannot help us in case of lawsuit. It doesn't think we've done anything - anything - wrong - but since we have no resources to fight - money that is - we should remove those posts and comply with that businesses wishes.
Only when backed by money and institution can an independent ward off threats like this.
If we blow this up on the web - some may come to help - but chances are not - we are too small for that kind of rallying cry.
Scott Karp
· 3 years ago
Anyone reading this who has a blog  PLEASE shine your spotlight on the plight of PhillyFuture.org and show the power of the blogosphere!
Mathew Ingram
· 3 years ago
Scott:
With all due respect, I think you're creating a false dichotomy in the setup for your argument -- a "straw man" I believe it's called :-)
I don't think Jeff Jarvis or anyone else who supports the idea of "citizen journalism" would argue that it should replace traditional journalism, or if they are saying that then I haven't been reading them closely enough. I think they are saying that it can help reinvigorate and extend traditional journalism. And I think they are saying this in particular about local reporting, not so much about reporting on a war, which as you point out takes considerable resources.
I don't think Jeff is saying that bloggers can replace that sort of thing, and for what it's worth I don't think that you really think he's saying that either. I guess I'm saying that it seemed like a bit of a cheap shot, especially since the rest of your post makes a lot of worthwhile points (many of which I think Jeff would agree with).
Scott Karp
· 3 years ago
Mathew, first of all, I think the blogosphere should have a moratorium on the use of the term "straw man" as the set up every "here's why I disagree with you" post. It's way overused and misused as a rhetorical device. (But that's a separate issue.)
I don't attribute the "sledgehammer" approach to even a fraction of the citizen journalism movement. As I said in my update above, most everyone is on the same page.
With all due respect to Jeff -- I did say I thought he was half right -- he uses the term "dinosaur" to describe old media. Dinosaurs symbolize the path to extinction. If what he has in mind is "reinvigoration" and "extension," that's not something I've picked up in reading what he's written.
Perhaps I need to read him and others more carefully. And/or they need to choose their language more carefully.
Lives in Focus is another example of 'donation driven blog journalism'. Sandeep raised around $6,000 for him and a photographer to go to India and report on the plight of the HIV+ population affected by changes in Indian patent law. Fascinating multimedia project. Shows what can be done, and done better than old media, on a limited budget. I interviewed him specifically about how this model could be used by other journalists with possible involvement of newspapers etc. if you're interested, the audio's here.
All Comments
And funding it all is a nightmare. Attacking the media establishment (outfoxed), and Hollywood's sugar daddy (wal-mart) makes a lot of funders scared.
So that's a big reason we use DVDs because at least we can sell those and have some kind of revenue stream. People are willing to pay for that (at least for now).
I agree with both your general enthusiasm for and skepticism of citizen journalism. In regards to your comment about independent reporters, there are quite a few independent bloggers who have gone or are going to Iraq and other hot zones to report. Chris Allbritton from back-to-iraq.com is the first who comes to mind. Two years ago he raised $10,000 via his blog, travelled to Iraq, and did some original reporting. Today he freelances for Time from Beirut.
Steve, thanks for the example of Chris Allbritton -- if anyone else has other examples, I'd love to learn more about them.
That Chris had to raise money through his blog to be able to risk his life in Iraq is exactly my concern -- "with no back-up, no bulletproof vest and no embedding." as Chris says on his blog -- independent voices need and deserve institutional support, whether we reform the old institutions and/or create new ones.
Here goes a strike against grassroots (efforts without $6million dollar backer) civil journalism sites....
Without naming any names....
A user on our site published two stories related to an event that occured late last year.
There was a firm related to this event - one with ALOT of financial resources
and influence in our region.
The event was a disasterous flop - so much so it was covered by our local mainstream media.
Our user posted his opinion about the event and linked and quoted mainstream news stories about it.
The firm has filed suit against a number of folks involved and against smaller members of our mainstream media.
The firm has threatened us to remove those posts - due to the damages
they are causing - or face consequences.
We have a pro bono law team. It will cannot help us in case of lawsuit. It doesn't think we've done anything - anything - wrong - but since we have no resources to fight - money that is - we should remove those posts and comply with that businesses wishes.
Only when backed by money and institution can an independent ward off
threats like this.
If we blow this up on the web - some may come to help - but chances
are not - we are too small for that kind of rallying cry.
With all due respect, I think you're creating a false dichotomy in the setup for your argument -- a "straw man" I believe it's called :-)
I don't think Jeff Jarvis or anyone else who supports the idea of "citizen journalism" would argue that it should replace traditional journalism, or if they are saying that then I haven't been reading them closely enough. I think they are saying that it can help reinvigorate and extend traditional journalism. And I think they are saying this in particular about local reporting, not so much about reporting on a war, which as you point out takes considerable resources.
I don't think Jeff is saying that bloggers can replace that sort of thing, and for what it's worth I don't think that you really think he's saying that either. I guess I'm saying that it seemed like a bit of a cheap shot, especially since the rest of your post makes a lot of worthwhile points (many of which I think Jeff would agree with).
I don't attribute the "sledgehammer" approach to even a fraction of the citizen journalism movement. As I said in my update above, most everyone is on the same page.
With all due respect to Jeff -- I did say I thought he was half right -- he uses the term "dinosaur" to describe old media. Dinosaurs symbolize the path to extinction. If what he has in mind is "reinvigoration" and "extension," that's not something I've picked up in reading what he's written.
Perhaps I need to read him and others more carefully. And/or they need to choose their language more carefully.
"Citizen Media" Skeptical Questions
"What's so superultrafantastic about being an unpaid freelancer?"