Alex Clark, founder of PressPatron and participant at The Civics and Media Project Workshop 2, has shared his crowdfunding idea as a way forward. Below is Alex Clark’s initiative:

A key theme that has emerged throughout the Civics and Media Project workshops, has been the importance of embracing a diverse range of funding sources so that quality journalism can become sustainable.

One possible way forward is through the innovative use of crowdfunding, which is being explored by Alex Clark with the development of the PressPatron funding platform. Through PressPatron, readers will be able to use a single account to donate across a network of blogs and news sites.

The PressPatron funding platform was founded as part of a larger project, News Renewed, which hopes to improve the ways that journalism is created, shared and engaged with.

For more information, see Alex’s website at: www.fundingnews.co.nz

News Renewed photo

Workshop 3 speakers presentation
Workshop 3 heard from a diverse range of speakers who shared their ideas on how to ensure a well-informed, civically engaged New Zealand in 2030 during the session titled 10 speakers, 5 minutes, 1 slide. The Institute will be uploading speakers presentations to our YouTube channel in the coming weeks.

The Civics and Media Project booklet
The primary output of the workshop series will take the form of a booklet. This aims to be an influential think piece, building knowledge on how we might work, together or separately, to ensure that a well-informed, civically engaged society exists in 2030. The finished booklet will be distributed widely in 2020.

About The Civics and Media Project
The purpose of The Civics and Media Project is to inform and encourage public discourse and engagement regarding civics and media, with the ultimate aim of informing decisions by individuals, industry and institutions across society. The project is an initiative the Institute is working on with Victoria University of Wellington, the University of Auckland, New Zealand On Air, the Royal Society of New Zealand, and the Ministry for Culture and Heritage. To learn more see the website.