The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
– Crowdsourcing the news –
In its bid to dive deeper, De Correspondent has developed a unique relationship with its members, actively seeking contributions to help its reporters.
Pfauth said in his previous job as an online web editor for a Dutch daily that “people were really interested in sharing their expertise. Three thousand doctors know more than one medical journalist.”
So reporters at De Correspondent email members who have signed up to follow them about stories they are working on, asking for help, which is unpaid and on a voluntary basis.
It has not been “an easy process,” Pfauth admitted, acknowledging “the comments section on news sites were places where conspiracy theorists shouted at each other basically”.
But a desire to attract English-speaking contributors and help deepen their knowledge has driven the quest for a separate English version.
– Crisis? What crisis? –
The two men leave for New York soon, where they will help complete a year-long study called the Membership Puzzle Project in collaboration with New York University, researching how to build a sustainable news organisation that restores trust in journalism.
The project will end in May 2018, and with the results in hand, the pair hope to launch The Correspondent by late next year.
But Wijnberg and Pfauth are adamant about what they are not doing — they are not out to “save journalism.”
“I don’t actually believe journalism is in crisis,” said Wijnberg.
“Certain big organisations, that are very slow or very unable to adapt, are in extreme crisis because their models are not working any more.”
Pfauth goes as far as to say that “this is one of the best times in journalism”, adding “it’s easier than ever to reach a large audience, and get them to pay for what you do”.
