NOTES FROM KELL'S

[EHarris]

Here they are! Please have a look and add or clarify in replies here.
Thanks to Tony for volunteering to turn this into a draft mission
statement or project proposal, with alternates. When that is up have a
look and we'll talk about it in January.

Thanks a lot everyone!
-Emily

--
People gave brief reports on how other organizations that could serve
as models work. See below. Not comprehensive, but some consensus about
desires emerged from that research, particularly the desire to be an
innovative website and thus employ more than just journalists as
primary staff.


GENERAL IDEAS
Collaborate with investigate west? Start small under this umbrella?
Concern: are they limited to environmental.

MISSION STATEMENT/POINT OF SUCH AN ORGANIZATION
From WMTM afternoon session:
Investigative and analytical reporting focused on keeping government
and big institutions accountable and serving as a catalyst. In a
captivating way. Targeting subject areas not covered by other media.
(Maybe not just gov and institutions? Also businesses, individuals.)

Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.

Q: what woul


d these ten journos do that O doesn’t do?

SS take on what takes to support investigative journalism:
-Can take as long as given to report.
-Last project took 24 months. I was ready to publish before.
-Thinks strong value in being attached to a newsroom. Can’t be
productive if just preparing for big story. If not regularly
publishing, esp on web, not getting tips, not getting info flowing in
to the web. Need to be out there in community getting known. Hard if
not attached to organization. Develop cred by being attached to an
organization. Want to be investigative org, but tied on ongoing basis
to real things going on right now. Likes Voice of SD model. PP too.
Reporters publishing not necc every day. . .but frequently
-Pro Publica doing new approach with Times Picayune. Deaths at police
hands in Katrina, can’t document what happened, bc proper invest not
done. Part of story is putting out what they know to the New Orleans
diaspora, and saying, come talk to us. (note: one example of using the
web for what it’s good for)


SCOPE?
Geographic: Emphasis on Portland in Ron’s group noted. EH strong
feeling to not restrict selves. Reality a lot will be based/focused in
Portland
Matters to Portlanders and affects us.
At least not closing the door. Look for connections where possible.
Possible Tex Tribune model?
Topic: Not comprehensive coverage of everything. Hard hitting
reporting of areas of expertise.
Fill gaps in reporting. One example? poverty beat. SS: what’s missing
in coverage – this is a liberal state. Passionate about environment.
But not much talk about what happening to poor people. Force world to
look at that.
More examples: Education better coverage. Research in child
development.
Environment in more centralized way.
Good governance. Constitution. Initiative process.
Government waste. Populist budgeting. No CBO for state. Leg with no
staff. Really basic things.

Other: Another possible niche – a website that works. Oregon Live is
so terrible. Might be good in a few years. . . competition?

Want to do web innovation. Really present stuff maxing web potential.
Need people beyond just journalists.*
Not a newspaper on the web.




STAFFING
Programmer as journalist model. Example to look at: Adrian Holovaty.
Advanced programmer also reporter and editor. Devised content
management sytem for Lawrence Kansas? Also did Everyblock. Hyperlocal
data mining site, pulls together public records and publishes. Sold to
MSNBC. http://www.everyblock.com/about/

Programmers who can develop user interfaces. So can share info with
public. Investigative reporting . . . next step after telling the
narrative is getting public interact with data.

Example: NYT story about employment and race. Interactive feature let
you sort the data any way you want fast and easy .
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/11/06/business/economy/unemployment-lines.html


FUNDING
-Concern about foundations. Few here focused on media. Growing
competition nationally. Limited philanthropic base in Portland.
-Focus on building a compelling idea, and then look at who might want
to fund. Have product to sell first.
-Possible donation. . . to site, to story as a vote. . .
-Spot.us idea. Name a story proposal . . How’s it working.

Funding model is clear. Small number of rich people. Can expand.
(Who is Turnbull and how did UO get that money?)


Collaboration?
PP model could be, but problem give it away. Although that is the
point of their existence.
Who would be this collaborator in Oregon?
PP has national brand. Started with marqee reporter names. Instant
cred.
What’s in it for the O? Lot of ego in newspapers.
Same would go for WW?
TT – dailies in Tx reluctant to use the content from them.
Why start a new? 4-5 new nonprofits in Oregon every day!
Partner: OPB. Fiscal sponsor. Create efficiencies. . .
Ten investigative journalists. IN turn, helps OPB develop a much more
interactive, web powerhouse. That it naturally will evolve to.
Cons: you’d be their project. Possible con, rely on their board.
A “unit” sponsored by/housed within OPB. Could it still have other
clients?
Jay: morgan (VP news) explained their process as “curatorial.”
Problem, no culture of investigative reporting.
-what does board think?
If people recognize, a proposal with core competency. . . and think
can find money . .
Q: Has OPB asked for donations for investigative only? EH: No, at
least not in general soliciation.
Need to create independent entity that shows that people want this.

CS: example of local film company, small. To get first feature,
partnered with nonprofit that owned the Hollywood movie theater.
Channeled through to non-profit. “sponsoring” non-profit. Pursue a
smaller commitment.
Possibly start and maybe later on OPB incorporate. Some kind of
commitment – over the next two years, if reach certain goals, start to
get involved. Could take that to donors. . . .
Or an N3 relationship? If ten investigative reporters added. Need
radio element.

Concern of hazards to collaboration. Who you collaborate with will
force form upon your content.

Possible to hang content off successful national news blogs.


JOINING FORCES
As we see our task: come up with compelling model and creative ideas
to sell Ron to get behind. Want to keep the collaboration in this
group. Recognition there will not be two groups at point where going
to fundraise, etc.



BRIEF NOTES ABOUT SOME POTENTIAL EXAMPLES
Pro Publica –
In the clear. One multi mill grant. Sandler was looking for something
to fund. .
Hiring development director now, 2 yrs into it.
Don’t sell stuff to other papers.
Daily update digest – 2-3 stories tracking. And the top two news
stories that they’ve culled from other places.
CS: Tarp coverage follows. Some is investigative, some commentary,
some furthering the story in a way that others don’t. And original
content on website.
National focus.

N3-
Nonprofit, pays salaries of five radio reporters x northwest. One
roving.
Funded through fees from 9 public radio stations
Half a million dollars a year. 9 stations re-broadcast. Grants 11%,
underwriting 27%?
No paid staff. They have sponsor stations cover the employees, then
get paid back. Save overhead on backoffice, admin, underwriting sales,
etc.
Financial entity.
Members founded it to fill a need. No outsider pitch.

Texas Tribune-
Started by venture capitalist, $1 mill. 2.7 mill from corporate
sponsors, foundations, and many private donors.
Staff of 16
All very well paid. Top reporters $90k. Just started publishing in Nov
09. Goal is to raise 4 million by end of 2009. That would give them
stability to work on development. Contracted with a fundraising team.
How plan to fundraise remains to be seen. Founder probably has a good
rolodex.
Want to syndicate information but don’t want to charge for it.
Ubiquity is their goal. Strong own web presence. Full time web
developer on staff.
Mnging editor $300k
Cool thing: “very respectful” fact bubbles next to a Rick Perry
speech. First week they were up.
Very innovative in way using the web. Not trying to replicate
newspaper. Trying to use internet to fullest extent. Also aggregate
info. Twitter feed of all state politicians brought in to TT.

Investigate West
Denied accreditation at Copenhagen
Our accreditation, she explained, had been approved by a separate
organization, the Fresh Air Center. The center lobbies for independent
journalists and provides them with resources such as interview spaces
and access to the internet. The UN officials said the Center’s
decision to accredit me had been made before the UN reviewed the
application.
Once again, they were very sorry; the late accreditation phase was no
longer an option, as the size of the UN delegation’s personal media
was larger than the press office anticipated, she said.
Looking into it as a story


How they describe themselves/(What we would need)
accomplished journalists with a track record of producing
investigative stories and, with them, change in public policy and
corporate practice.

Core group of five – four from PI
Contributing journalists throughout the west
Active internship program with local universities

Use crowdsourcing, database publishing, photos, videos, audio

InvestigateWest incorporated as a 501(c)(3) to conduct our journalism
for the public trust. We are among the vanguard of non-profit news
organizations intent on changing the way investigative journalism is
funded. The new financial model includes foundation funding and
individual and corporate memberships, but we adhere to the same
standards that have always informed the Fourth Estate: integrity,
fairness, and an independent quest for truth.
No ads on site

Looking for charter members
Student $30
To Muckraker Club $5000

Peter Bhatia is on their board
KQED person is on their board

Appear to be focusing a lot on environment

[Suzi Steffen]

Emily et al,

Great notes! Wish I could have been there. (I am leaving soon to drive up for the Digital Journo/SPJ thing tonight.)

Two thoughts:

1. Spot.Us crowdsources its funding (start-up $ from Knight, I think, for staffing) and also asks its reporters to update their progress online quite often.

2. What about collaboration with the UO J-school at White Stag? I know there are special investigative reporting classes going on up there (one of my students is taking something about investigative reporting in Chinatown, maybe? next term) & it seems like a good project. That said, what about collaboration with PSU or Reed or UP or ... er, I don't know the Portland college scene that well, but I think computer science/programmer/coder/journalism/history/other students could provide a lot of energy and enthusiasm, not to mention learn a lot from the experiences. If this group isn't in touch with J-School Associate Dean Al Stavitsky at White Stag and Dean Tim Gleason in Eugene, getting in touch might be a good idea. Al is a...@uoregon.edu and Dean Gleason is tgle...@uoregon.edu (he might be on this list already; he was at #wmtm).

Can't wait to hear more from this group. The incubator group will be talking and networking a ton tonight, I think. Hope to see some of you at the Rose and Thistle at 7!

Best,
Suzi Steffen
@suzisteffen

Performing/Visual Arts Editor
Eugene Weekly

Adjunct Instructor
School of Journalism and Communication
University of Oregon

[Tony]

As agreed, I'll write up a short proposal that captures the essence of
what we've talked about. As the author, I will, of course take some
liberties. But I'll promise to circulate the proposal one week prior
to our next meeting, so that we can all digest it and come to our next
meeting with some concrete suggestions for refining it. By the way,
Emily, can you send out the date, time and place of our next meeting?
My impression was that you were working on nailing down a meeting
place and perhaps that may take some time to figure out, but in the
meantime could you remind us of the date and time? Thanks so much,
Tony

> MSNBC.http://www.everyblock.com/about/

>
> Programmers who can develop user interfaces. So can share info with
> public. Investigative reporting  . . . next step after telling the
> narrative is getting public interact with data.
>
> Example: NYT story about employment and race. Interactive feature let

> you sort the data any way you want fast and easy .http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/11/06/business/economy/unempl...

> standards that have always informed the Fourth ...
>
> read more »