For many years, news has been plagued by advertising and pay-walls. Chronogram aims to change that.
Local Hudson Valley magazine Chronogram is known for its coverage of art, culture and lifestyle.
Now, it’s creators are bringing you stories on politics and society, social justice, the environment, the economy, education and health through a new, online model launched to serve sustainable journalism called, The River.
The River will provide a regional perspective on issues of national importance through in-depth coverage and ethical journalism to be distributed on an ad-free, no paywall, online platform.
“No matter which Hudson Valley town or city you live in, there are issues that can only be tackled from a higher vantage point. We need a source of news meant to give us common ground as citizens and a clear understanding of the issues we face together as a region,” stated the self published press release on Nov. 5.
The press release also encouraged those interested in helping fund the newsroom to donate to The River’s Kickstarter Campaign. Since then, the Kickstarter has raised more than $2,000 past their goal of $20,000 in one month.
Along with the Kickstarter, the project wouldn’t have been possible without the work of Luminary Media, a multi-platform marketing publisher of regional magazines, and Civil, an independent, non-profit journalism start-up dedicated to providing news outlets with a new, ad-free, digital platform and funding model.
“The River is part of a newsroom ecosystem that promotes and rewards the distribution of insightful and trustworthy news and information,” said Chronogram’s Editorial Director Brian K. Mahoney in a recent editor’s note. “Civil’s cryptoeconomic model introduces a compelling new incentive structure to deliver peer-to-peer journalism, bringing readers into direct relationship with newsmakers.”
The website, www.therivernewsroom.com, has been an up-and-running news outlet bringing national news to a local level since late October. According to their mission statement, their goal is “to produce news that gives you tools for living your life, and information that gives you pause and makes you think. This kind of news empowers you in making good decisions and allows critical thinking on key issues that affect you, personally.”
In an increasingly digital world, print journalism has been struggling to keep its audience, while digital journalism has been struggling to keep its funding. With the help of grants from Civil, The River is able to ensure ethical publication by focusing on their readers.
“It might just be the revolution in journalism we’ve been looking for,” Mahoney said.