Memphis (Jan. 12) \u2013 During Friday’s \u201cBuilding and Sustaining Independent Media\u201d breakout session, the presenters overviewed their individual independent outlets and suggested how the independent media landscape could be strengthened, yet they could only suggest diversifying when trying to answer the most-asked question of the afternoon: how can independent media make money?<\/p>\n
Kim Spencer, executive director of Link TV<\/a>, said the key to profitability rests in a variety of funding sources. While that may seem obvious, Bonnie Boswell of The Real News<\/a> took it a step further, noting that the proposed international independent news network would rely on individuals as the primary source of funding, in essence creating a publicly driven media source.<\/p>\n \u201cWe intend to have no government financing or advertising,\u201d Boswell said. \u201cWe\u2019ve raised $5 million and intend to raise $15 million more. If we can get 250,000 people to give $10 a month then you can be independent.\u201d<\/p>\n Moderator Tracy Van Slyke, publisher of the 30-year-old independent national award-winning news magazine In These Times<\/a>, noted while independent media may be poor in capital, it boasts rich content. In hopes of increasing the reach of that content, many of the organizations joined Mediaconsortium.org \u2013 a network of 35 progressive media organizations filling a void created by the loss of organizations like the Independent Press Association, which folded over a week ago.<\/p>\n \u201cMany funders don\u2019t understand the need for funding of the progressive media landscape,\u201d Vans Slyke said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve tried reshaping our Website and opening a blog,\u201d Banks said. \u201cIn terms of our theory of social networking online, we want to use social networking online to move to offline action.\u201d<\/p>\n Not only are consumers taking notice, but apparently, corporate media also keeps an eye on his site. Banks said larger publications like the New York Times used the same angle and the same actual sources on articles originally appearing in ColorLines.<\/p>\n
\nDiversifying applies to more than just funding. Van Slyke claimed independent media must be willing to use multiple platforms for the message if they expect to not only survive, but thrive. Andre Banks, publisher of ColorLines<\/a>, noted that while it\u2019s hard to raise money for media ventures, his publication went through many incarnations over its 10 years of existence reporting on communities of color. To help reach a larger variety of consumers, Banks said the publication often repackages information from one story to use in another story or as a query to invite reader response and build community.<\/p>\n