The International Press Institute (IPI) has partnered with member-supported writing platform Contributoria to sponsor its April issue, which will focus on press freedom.
Contributoria is accepting proposals for the April issue throughout this month.
“IPI is proud to be the very first Contributoria sponsor,” IPI Development Coordinator & Congress Manager Silvia Morales said. “As one of the winning projects of IPI’s News Innovation Contest, there is no better way for us to support the platform’s work than by joining in first. We invite everyone to submit proposals for articles through Contributoria’s website and we look forward to reading your proposals as well as your stories in the April issue!”
Initially funded as a winner of the News Innovation Contest and sponsored by Google, Contributoria enables journalists and writers to collaborate on all aspects of the writing process, including commissioning, editing and publication. The platform is designed to operate like a cooperative and to inspire writers and journalists to support each other. Paying members of the community can back story proposals, and writers whose stories are selected for publication are paid for their work, for a fee the writers themselves set.
Contributoria, in an announcement on its website about the partnership with IPI, said: “We’re looking for proposals particularly around press freedom and the digital world. Perhaps it’s a general look at the issues or an investigation into tools or behaviours or individuals or organisations that support free press in the world. Submissions should be 800+ words and written in English. Your proposal might be an interview, a research project, an essay or your insightful observations … it’s up to you and the community to decide.”
Some ideas for stories in the April issue already submitted include:
-Can Press freedom exist in a corporate world?
-The Business of Press Freedom
-In the absence of media plurality in China, can social media fill the gap?
Contributoria is still in its beta stage and membership is currently free. The platform is supported by the Guardian Media Group, which is wholly owned by The Scott Trust Ltd and exists to secure the financial and editorial independence of The Guardian.
