Journalism as a cooperative

25 February 2018

The Failed Estate

Another parliamentary inquiry into how to rescue public interest journalism has come and gone, having raised barely a ripple. Is it because nobody cares? Is it because there’s no money in it? Is it because there really isn’t a problem to begin with? Or is it because we’re stuck inside an old mindset?

…West is a great journalist, but he’s only one lawsuit away from going out of business. That is the challenge for individual operators like him. Which is why another submission, from the Business Council of Cooperatives and Mutuals, caught this blogger’s eye. Independent journalists could be so much stronger as part of a collective, ones with multiple stakeholders that include crowdfunding members and supporters. The New Internationalist magazine is such an enterprise, a truly independent media co-operative dedicated to socially conscious journalism and publishing.