Belief in journalism has halved over the last ten years, a new YouGov poll for Impress reveals, with just 18% of people trusting the national press to tell truth.
"With 80% of the UK press being in the hands of five billionaires, and our biggest broadcasting network under the increasing influence of the state, it is no surprise that traditional sources of media are increasingly out of touch with the population at large" state organisers of The Media Fund, which aims to address the issue.
"The need for independent media in the UK is greater than ever, but this need can't be satisfied when financial issues are hindering the development of alternative news sources" they add.
Indeed, with advertisers and public bodies reluctant to help fund the groups that will journalistically bite their hand, it's becoming almost impossible to financially sustain any sort of real investigative and community centred media.
The Media Fund is an online, ongoing crowdfunding platform that aims to collect monthly donations, and distribute them to alternative, independent and grassroots media. In its first month it has a £10,000 target, for which it has already raised £6,000...
Organisers state that The Media Fund site will allow you to:
1) Choose the sites you like and donate a monthly amount of your choice
2) Access content from your chosen sites all in one place
3) Find more independent media like it to explore.
4) Support and uphold the integrity of the industry's transformation, as online digital work challenges traditional mainstream media.
5) Shift the focus - financially and culturally - from papers that promote division and oppression, to whichever publications you think should replace them.
"While the biggest media companies in the UK continue business as usual, small independent media groups are revolutionising the media landscape" they explain "but to continue to grow, and to maintain rigorous and integral work, they need your help.
"We want to make funding new media easy, fun and effective" they add "Together we want to raise loads of cash for the best independent media organisations, and set the standard for the new democratic media industry. One that works for you, because of you..."
The project is spearheaded by Real Media, alongside national organisations including Centre for Investigative Journalism, SpinWatch and the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, and local groups including the Salford Star, Manchester Meteor and Dorset Eye.
The Media Fund launches on 10th December at the Media Democracy Festival, University of London.
For full details on The Media Fund, including a video explaining more and donation page – click here
See also The Media Fund on Facebook
Participating Organisations...
National: Real Media, Novara Media, New Internationalist, Centre for Investigative Journalism, Open Democracy, Consented, SpinWatch, Bureau of Investigative Journalism, Now Then, Pride's Purge, Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, Streets Kitchen, Reel News, The Radical Film Network, Union News
Local: Salford Star, Manchester Meteor, Dorset Eye, Bella Caledonia, Bristol Radical Film Festival
Main image shows a screengrab from The Media Fund video
* See also previous Salford Star article - Transparency Dead in Salford as Public Bodies Refuse to be Held to Account - click here
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