David Beers, a fellow Canadian, talks about The Tyee
Why B.C. is a great place to do innovative media?
British Columbia is very old place, but it is future focused with a large multicultural component. Very creative place, he says. Can be very polarized, feisty place.
It should be a fertile place for innovative media. However, media is very concentrated - the biggest player being Global CanWest.
Economic settings is characterized by huge real estate and resource based. Tourism is also big.
The papers of record are protectors of these industry. Beers felt pressure to tow the line. Fragmenting of marketplace means newspapers pander to advertisers. It is neo-con heaven and runs up against anyone who does not share these views.
When he looked out over the landscape, the corporate media was not doing a very good job facilitating a broad ranging dialogue.
With an old-fashioned resume and a rolodex to get support. Went to labour (similar to Rabble.ca), some direct investment and venture capital company from labour pension funds. Special fund was available and a local philanthropist, as well. It was a fascinating mixture of partners. But, it would be hands-off. About $200,000 was raised.
Original, credible journalism that had impact, not indie media. Indie media has not impact in B.C, he said. And, he wanted to build an audience.
Two-and-a-half years later, there are 200,000 visitors.
Next round of investors will be advertisers. Not even worth it until you have large audience. There is also interest from philanthropists. Approached all the time. Too often, there are many strings attached. Book section is a partnership between publishers and a government grant for $32,000.
Readers were also feeling shut out. Tyee is an unabashed champion of lesser known stories. Readers can contribute money through a non-profit organization. This funds investigative journalism and it works.
This is the future of journalism. Non-profit organizations which support journalism excellence. Like the Centre for Public Integrity, it will take money from different sources, non-main stream news organizations, to ensure excellent journalism is kept alive in Canada. Also support for CBC. It must be a hub for the highest calibre journalism in the country, regardless of any other mandate.
British Columbia is very old place, but it is future focused with a large multicultural component. Very creative place, he says. Can be very polarized, feisty place.
It should be a fertile place for innovative media. However, media is very concentrated - the biggest player being Global CanWest.
Economic settings is characterized by huge real estate and resource based. Tourism is also big.
The papers of record are protectors of these industry. Beers felt pressure to tow the line. Fragmenting of marketplace means newspapers pander to advertisers. It is neo-con heaven and runs up against anyone who does not share these views.
When he looked out over the landscape, the corporate media was not doing a very good job facilitating a broad ranging dialogue.
With an old-fashioned resume and a rolodex to get support. Went to labour (similar to Rabble.ca), some direct investment and venture capital company from labour pension funds. Special fund was available and a local philanthropist, as well. It was a fascinating mixture of partners. But, it would be hands-off. About $200,000 was raised.
Original, credible journalism that had impact, not indie media. Indie media has not impact in B.C, he said. And, he wanted to build an audience.
Two-and-a-half years later, there are 200,000 visitors.
Next round of investors will be advertisers. Not even worth it until you have large audience. There is also interest from philanthropists. Approached all the time. Too often, there are many strings attached. Book section is a partnership between publishers and a government grant for $32,000.
Readers were also feeling shut out. Tyee is an unabashed champion of lesser known stories. Readers can contribute money through a non-profit organization. This funds investigative journalism and it works.
This is the future of journalism. Non-profit organizations which support journalism excellence. Like the Centre for Public Integrity, it will take money from different sources, non-main stream news organizations, to ensure excellent journalism is kept alive in Canada. Also support for CBC. It must be a hub for the highest calibre journalism in the country, regardless of any other mandate.
posted by Robert Washburn at
2:35 PM
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