Investing in the greater good, but with a hidden agenda

Does the rise of nonprofit journalism come with a price? For Slate.com writer Jack Shafer, the answer is yes.

In his 2009 article, "Nonprofit Journalism Comes at a Cost" Shafer suggests that content for commercial media as well as independent nonprofit media is based around interests of investors and advertisers saying, "Both nonprofit news and commercial news often find themselves constrained by the hidden agendas of their masters. Just as commercially supported journalists often find themselves dispatched to investigate the owners' hobbyhorses, nonprofit newsers are frequently assigned to 'chase after the idiosyncratic whims of funders'."

Though this may be true for some nonprofit media outlets, this seems to be more of a generalization then actual fact. Most independent blogs and websites begin because they are different from commercial, or mainstream news, and these independent websites find some sort of niche audience who choose to follow them. When a site has a lot of viewers it is more likely to receive advertising, but it needs the followers first. So in many cases of nonprofit media, the content or theme is already present, and to change that to cater to the interests of the advertisers or investors could potentially lose the people who follow the site.

Shafer says, "Donors to nonprofits seek not payouts from their investment but psychic income. They want to feel that their money has done good, or at least caused 'evil' some pain. They want to help publish stories that will make Congress to sit up and take notice and pass legislation. The want the major media to chase their stories. They want to publish stories that will convince voters to vote the way they'd have them vote."

I don't see this as a hidden agenda. One of the main differences between indy media, and mainstream media is that indy media has the ability to lay it on the line, show a clear bias, and voice things that could potentially be offensive. And that is what makes indy media so appealing to readers seeking the truth.

Now you see it, now you don't

Just a few days ago while visiting Josh Marshall's Talking Points Memo site I saw a large endorsement for Richard Hanna, who is the Rep. candidate for New York State's 24th Congressional district. The website had a large picture at the top middle of the home page, where visitors could click to support Hanna and donate to his campaign. I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised to find this endorsement. Although I am a registered democrat, I personally vote based on the candidate not just by party affiliation, and as a registered voter in the 24th district right now I am in favor of Hanna over Dem. Incumbent Michael Arcuri.

However, today when I scoped out TPM... no endorsement. I have no idea how long the link was up on the site, but it was pretty short lived. We have talked a lot about revenue streams for Indy Media websites, and this makes me wonder if the Hanna campaign was paying TPM for the advertising, or if Marshall is just in support of Hanna and chose to post the endorsement?

Either way, today I found the TPM PollTracker which I thought had a lot of good information that was well organized and easy to read. It will most likely become one of the websites I check out daily from now until November 2nd.

Having a passion can be profitable

John Tozzia a writer for businessweek.com wrote an article about blogger success stories called, "Bloggers Bring in the Big Bucks". The article highlights Eric Nakagawa, who turned his website, where he posted funny pictures of cats with even funnier captions, into a blog called "I Can Has Cheezburger" so that visitors could comment on the postings.

Nakagawa quickly saw his viewers double each month, so he quit his job to focus on the website. Now, according to Tozzia, "A week of ads on Cheezburger, via Blogads, starts at $500 and tops out at $5,400 for a premium position. The site also sells through Google AdSense and AdBrite platforms. It recently ranked No. 26 on the most-linked-to blogs list on Technorati."

Something I found very interesting that was not mentioned in the article by Tozzia, is that not only do Nakagawa's funny cat photos- now commonly called Lolcats- appear on his "I Can Has Cheezburger" website, they also appear in emails and on facebook. Prior to reading this article I had never visited Nakagawa's site, but I have seen the Lolcats numerous times in chain emails and on the formally popular facebook app called 'bumper stickers'. I find it very very interesting to see where these crazy photos originated, considering their popularity today is sky high.

According to Tozzia, "Many of the most popular bloggers have similar tales of starting out with a niche idea." There are many many other success stories about bloggers who have turned a large profit, after their blog took off and gained popularity. The best way to gain popularity is to find a way to get community involvement and gain viewers to the blog.

Tozzia included a slideshow at the end of his article that highlighted other bloggers who have found success within their niche. For example, Josh Marshall's "Talking Points Memo" brings in huge bucks. TPM brings in an estimated $45,000 a month based on ad rates and self-reported traffic data.

Ads on blogs are one of the biggest forms of revenue for bloggers like Marshall and Nakagawa. Advertisers naturally want to go where the viewers are, and right now viewers are online surfing blogs. The good news for bloggers is that having a passion can turn out to be profitable.

Can government bullying really stop indepedent media from reporting the truth?

Main stream media and government officials, see Indy Media as a major threat. Online bloggers and citizens journalists have the freedom to say anything they want; in the U.S. that is. Many countries around the world have been caught trying to censor the internet. Some countries make the internet difficult to access, and some others specifically target individuals who make negative comments about the government.

This was the case for French citizen Dominique Broueilh. Last year the New York Times published a story after she, "found herself the target of a police investigation and a lawsuit from a French cabinet official because of a comment she had posted online." (New York Times writer, Scott Sayare) The article titled: 'As Web Challenges French Leaders, They Push Back' high lighted numerous instances of the French government bullying individuals who posted information on the web that they saw as an embarrassment to the country's ruling class. Broueilh had a law suit brought against her for merely commenting on a web posting with her opinion; "Oh, the liar" Broueilh said about a government official. According Sayare, "Ms. Broueilh’s Internet protocol address, obtained her identity and brought suit against her for 'public insult toward a member of the ministry,' an offense punishable by a fine of up to $18,000." The article goes on to say how mainstream journalists in France would purposely not publish embarrassing stories about politicians in order to protect them. In the U.S. the press is seen as a 'check on government'. If journalists never printed the truth, the government could get away with whatever they wanted. Something politicians in France were accustomed to up until the wide spread use of he internet.

Unfortunately, 'As Web Challenges French Leaders, They Push Back' is not the first article I've read about governments going after individuals who use the internet to tell the truth. In Egypt, citizens searches and activities online can be monitored. Human Rights First blogger Reagan Kuhn, wrote a story about a young man who was beaten to death by police, simply for not showing his ID card to police at an internet cafe. This is a stunning and horrifying example of government taking censorship to an extreme.

Journalists have often been seen as a third check on government. However, at times when mainstream media neglects to report the truth because it may be conflicting with their network affiliates, Indy Media has picked up the slack. Historically, independent journalists and publications have faced backlash from the government. Now with the wide access to the internet and other technology widely available, producers of Indy Media are continuing on full stem ahead; showing that in the U.S. and abroad, bullying won't stop the truth from being told.