NWZ - News Site

By Kiran Matthews

PledgeMe.Project

Journalism,



NZ $4,040 pledged


117 people pledged


Closed


NZ $4,000 minimum target


100 100% Complete

This campaign was successful and closed on 05/05/2013 at 9:28 AM.

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About

NWZ - News Site

Project 2013-02-04 00:07:49 +1300

Before we start, have you watched our video?

Cool, now go and read the latest posts in the updates tab, Kiran has put up an FAQ that clarifies why our budget is (relatively) small, and how we're going to maintain editorial independence.

NWZ.co.nz is a new, independent, full-fledged news site, covering a wide range of topics for a New Zealand audience. As well as covering important issues such as LGBT rights, the environment and income inequality, we'll also be writing about technology, music, film, theatre, politics and art. 


We're a small team, comprised of students and recent graduates, contributing articles on subjects that we're knowledgeable and passionate about. We have enough talented writers to ensure that fresh content is delivered throughout the day, every day.

As well as articles written by NWZ contributors, we're also building relationships with several international news organisations and niche sites, who have agreed to let us syndicate (re-post) their articles, so that the site will always be updated and current.


We won't just be writing, we'll also be producing original video and audio content, such as reviews and podcasts – in the same vein as YouTube channels such as Sourcefed and The Young Turks. We have two awesome presenters, Josh and Niamh, who are ready to present NWZ's Video blog, if funding is succesful.


Work on the site is well underway, but for NWZ to compete with corporate giants such as Fairfax, APN and Yahoo, we need our site to be built to an exceedingly high standard. We need a bare minimum of $4000 in order to:

  1. Pay our web developers (who cannot volunteer part-time, like the rest of our team)
  2. Pay web hosting fees for our first year of operation
  3. Rent and buy video and sound equipment 
  4. Demonstrate to government funding bodies that there is a real demand for this kind of site, increasing our chance of winning their support
  5. Cover other administrative costs (trademark applications, domain renewals etc.).


Our long-term plan is for NWZ to become self-sufficient financially, through selling advertising space – but to get the site off of the ground we need your help to raise these funds. Check out the range of rewards we've come up with, in the column on the right. Thanks for reading!

Like us on Facebook - facebook.com/nwz


Comments

Updates 2

Skeptical? Here's an FAQ

08/04/2013 at 11:01 AM

Hey y’all! Kiran here.

After launching NWZ’s PledgeMe campaign, we’ve had a lot of pressing questions. I’ve done my best to try and answer the tough ones. Hopefully if you’re feeling skeptical about NWZ, this changes your mind:


NWZ looks like a cheap rip-off of Stuff.co.nz, what’s different about it?

I’ve spoken to friends working at Fairfax, who’ve told me point blank that articles have been censored or never made it to print because of an advertiser’s objections. Typically, these articles will cover so-called “contentious issues” such as reproductive rights, rape, drugs and sexuality.

The difference is that NWZ is a news website that doesn’t censor at the whim of advertisers.

Additionally, we want to avoid pandering to the lowest common denominator; to that end, we will never engage in victim-blaming, xenophobia, sexism or any incitement of prejudice and hate.


Hold on, you said you’re going to fund the sight through advertising! Is NWZ just a a profit-generating exercise?

The idea is that 'costs are covered' by advertising, and we never compromise or censor the content to cover advertiser demands. We're registered as an llc, so we're technically a ‘for profit’ entity in the eyes of the taxman - but I see NWZ as more of a 'social enterprise', where profits go toward building the site into something bigger, paying writers, developing new apps/experiences etc.

Because we will not be censoring our writers, our advertising revenue will be lower – but hopefully the news product that we deliver will be stronger, and more authentic.


$4000 is a ridiculously small amount to develop (let alone run) a large site, won’t you just run out of money straight away?

As stated on the page, this is thebare minimumwe're aiming to raise to partially cover set-up costs. Are you familiar withLoomio? It's a piece of online decision-making software that my friend Jon Lemmon is working on. Their software is exceedingly more complex than ours and they funded it with $5000 in PledgeMe donations…

Should funding be successful, as well as buying gear, we'll be using the money to compensate developers that are already working with us, who are willing to work at a ‘start-up’ rate in exchange for later compensation. I want to pay them so that they don't starve - This may be why the figure of $4000 might seem unrealistic at face value.


In your video you talk about NWZ being free, what’s wrong with paid news?

I feel as though paywalls significantly limit the reach of content, especially in a small market like New Zealand. What if your only access to a computer is at your local library, or your high school? What if you're a single-parent on a low income, and can't justify subscribing to a paywalled site? Perhaps you aren't old enough to have a credit/debit card... it's just not something I see as viable, in a market this small, with the audience we're speaking to.


You were really vague in your video about whose content you are going to be reprinting, why won’t you tell us all your sources?

In our video, Kenji mentions "international organisations", this refers to offshore entities such as The Raw Story (who do syndicate content for free, to other publishers), Aljazeera (who share certain stories and videos under a creative commons license) and numerous other sites that have granted consent to their content being shared (with attribution). We’ve been scouring the net for 5 months building a highly curated list of sources. Anyone with this list of sources could effectively contact them, get their permission to syndicate, and build a 50% complete version of NWZ.


Well, if couldn’t anyone set this site up, why should I help you do it?

Because we pledge (ha!) to never compromise the quality and integrity of our content in order to satisfy an advertiser.


Okay, that’s rad, I want to pledge now!

The video doesn’t make it that clear (our bad), but you don’t get charged on your credit or debit card until the end of our PledgeMe campaign, and only if we reach our $4000 target. What this means is you can pledge now, even if  there’s no funds in your account, as long as that money is in your account on May 5th.


Thanks for reading!


Sections and subsections on NWZ

05/04/2013 at 3:31 AM

In response to a demand for more detailed information about what NWZ will actually be reporting on, here's a few quick summaries of the different sections we plan to curate. Pledgeme has a limit of images you can upload, so the rest will be posted on our facebook page at facebook.com/nwz.




    Pledgers 117

    Chelsea Evans
    13/04/2013 at 4:16pm
    Maggot Mills
    13/04/2013 at 2:41pm
    Emily Lepper
    13/04/2013 at 2:29pm
    Josh Clapp
    13/04/2013 at 12:30pm
    Bob Ghosh
    11/04/2013 at 7:48am
    Bob Ghosh
    11/04/2013 at 7:41am
    Elaine Mitchell
    09/04/2013 at 8:55pm
    Anonymous pledger
    09/04/2013 at 10:09am
    Anonymous pledger
    09/04/2013 at 12:03am
    McKenzie Dowson
    08/04/2013 at 11:47pm
    George Fenn
    08/04/2013 at 11:21pm
    priscilla
    07/04/2013 at 7:42pm
    Allanah Thomas
    06/04/2013 at 12:22am
    Susan Krzanich
    06/04/2013 at 12:11am
    David ten Have
    05/04/2013 at 6:54pm
    Ben Childs
    05/04/2013 at 6:20pm
    Slayton Hurst Bourdon
    05/04/2013 at 4:44pm
    Rizzobot Gizzuthrie
    05/04/2013 at 3:27pm
    Nandini Ghosh
    04/04/2013 at 11:13pm
    Anonymous pledger
    04/04/2013 at 10:54pm
    sam
    04/04/2013 at 10:41pm
    Louis Alexander Dyer
    04/04/2013 at 9:51pm
    Kipp Nicholson
    04/04/2013 at 9:07pm
    Bat Mandoza
    04/04/2013 at 8:58pm
    Matt Kennedy
    04/04/2013 at 8:43pm
    Ottilie G. Smith
    04/04/2013 at 8:38pm
    Troy
    04/04/2013 at 8:33pm

    Followers 3

    Followers of NWZ - News Site

    NWZ - News Site

    Project 2013-02-04 00:07:49 +1300

    Before we start, have you watched our video?

    Cool, now go and read the latest posts in the updates tab, Kiran has put up an FAQ that clarifies why our budget is (relatively) small, and how we're going to maintain editorial independence.

    NWZ.co.nz is a new, independent, full-fledged news site, covering a wide range of topics for a New Zealand audience. As well as covering important issues such as LGBT rights, the environment and income inequality, we'll also be writing about technology, music, film, theatre, politics and art. 


    We're a small team, comprised of students and recent graduates, contributing articles on subjects that we're knowledgeable and passionate about. We have enough talented writers to ensure that fresh content is delivered throughout the day, every day.

    As well as articles written by NWZ contributors, we're also building relationships with several international news organisations and niche sites, who have agreed to let us syndicate (re-post) their articles, so that the site will always be updated and current.


    We won't just be writing, we'll also be producing original video and audio content, such as reviews and podcasts – in the same vein as YouTube channels such as Sourcefed and The Young Turks. We have two awesome presenters, Josh and Niamh, who are ready to present NWZ's Video blog, if funding is succesful.


    Work on the site is well underway, but for NWZ to compete with corporate giants such as Fairfax, APN and Yahoo, we need our site to be built to an exceedingly high standard. We need a bare minimum of $4000 in order to:

    1. Pay our web developers (who cannot volunteer part-time, like the rest of our team)
    2. Pay web hosting fees for our first year of operation
    3. Rent and buy video and sound equipment 
    4. Demonstrate to government funding bodies that there is a real demand for this kind of site, increasing our chance of winning their support
    5. Cover other administrative costs (trademark applications, domain renewals etc.).


    Our long-term plan is for NWZ to become self-sufficient financially, through selling advertising space – but to get the site off of the ground we need your help to raise these funds. Check out the range of rewards we've come up with, in the column on the right. Thanks for reading!

    Like us on Facebook - facebook.com/nwz


    Comments

    Skeptical? Here's an FAQ

    08/04/2013 at 11:01 AM

    Hey y’all! Kiran here.

    After launching NWZ’s PledgeMe campaign, we’ve had a lot of pressing questions. I’ve done my best to try and answer the tough ones. Hopefully if you’re feeling skeptical about NWZ, this changes your mind:


    NWZ looks like a cheap rip-off of Stuff.co.nz, what’s different about it?

    I’ve spoken to friends working at Fairfax, who’ve told me point blank that articles have been censored or never made it to print because of an advertiser’s objections. Typically, these articles will cover so-called “contentious issues” such as reproductive rights, rape, drugs and sexuality.

    The difference is that NWZ is a news website that doesn’t censor at the whim of advertisers.

    Additionally, we want to avoid pandering to the lowest common denominator; to that end, we will never engage in victim-blaming, xenophobia, sexism or any incitement of prejudice and hate.


    Hold on, you said you’re going to fund the sight through advertising! Is NWZ just a a profit-generating exercise?

    The idea is that 'costs are covered' by advertising, and we never compromise or censor the content to cover advertiser demands. We're registered as an llc, so we're technically a ‘for profit’ entity in the eyes of the taxman - but I see NWZ as more of a 'social enterprise', where profits go toward building the site into something bigger, paying writers, developing new apps/experiences etc.

    Because we will not be censoring our writers, our advertising revenue will be lower – but hopefully the news product that we deliver will be stronger, and more authentic.


    $4000 is a ridiculously small amount to develop (let alone run) a large site, won’t you just run out of money straight away?

    As stated on the page, this is thebare minimumwe're aiming to raise to partially cover set-up costs. Are you familiar withLoomio? It's a piece of online decision-making software that my friend Jon Lemmon is working on. Their software is exceedingly more complex than ours and they funded it with $5000 in PledgeMe donations…

    Should funding be successful, as well as buying gear, we'll be using the money to compensate developers that are already working with us, who are willing to work at a ‘start-up’ rate in exchange for later compensation. I want to pay them so that they don't starve - This may be why the figure of $4000 might seem unrealistic at face value.


    In your video you talk about NWZ being free, what’s wrong with paid news?

    I feel as though paywalls significantly limit the reach of content, especially in a small market like New Zealand. What if your only access to a computer is at your local library, or your high school? What if you're a single-parent on a low income, and can't justify subscribing to a paywalled site? Perhaps you aren't old enough to have a credit/debit card... it's just not something I see as viable, in a market this small, with the audience we're speaking to.


    You were really vague in your video about whose content you are going to be reprinting, why won’t you tell us all your sources?

    In our video, Kenji mentions "international organisations", this refers to offshore entities such as The Raw Story (who do syndicate content for free, to other publishers), Aljazeera (who share certain stories and videos under a creative commons license) and numerous other sites that have granted consent to their content being shared (with attribution). We’ve been scouring the net for 5 months building a highly curated list of sources. Anyone with this list of sources could effectively contact them, get their permission to syndicate, and build a 50% complete version of NWZ.


    Well, if couldn’t anyone set this site up, why should I help you do it?

    Because we pledge (ha!) to never compromise the quality and integrity of our content in order to satisfy an advertiser.


    Okay, that’s rad, I want to pledge now!

    The video doesn’t make it that clear (our bad), but you don’t get charged on your credit or debit card until the end of our PledgeMe campaign, and only if we reach our $4000 target. What this means is you can pledge now, even if  there’s no funds in your account, as long as that money is in your account on May 5th.


    Thanks for reading!


    Sections and subsections on NWZ

    05/04/2013 at 3:31 AM

    In response to a demand for more detailed information about what NWZ will actually be reporting on, here's a few quick summaries of the different sections we plan to curate. Pledgeme has a limit of images you can upload, so the rest will be posted on our facebook page at facebook.com/nwz.




      Chelsea Evans
      13/04/2013 at 4:16pm
      Maggot Mills
      13/04/2013 at 2:41pm
      Emily Lepper
      13/04/2013 at 2:29pm
      Josh Clapp
      13/04/2013 at 12:30pm
      Bob Ghosh
      11/04/2013 at 7:48am
      Bob Ghosh
      11/04/2013 at 7:41am
      Elaine Mitchell
      09/04/2013 at 8:55pm
      Anonymous pledger
      09/04/2013 at 10:09am
      Anonymous pledger
      09/04/2013 at 12:03am
      McKenzie Dowson
      08/04/2013 at 11:47pm
      George Fenn
      08/04/2013 at 11:21pm
      priscilla
      07/04/2013 at 7:42pm
      Allanah Thomas
      06/04/2013 at 12:22am
      Susan Krzanich
      06/04/2013 at 12:11am
      David ten Have
      05/04/2013 at 6:54pm
      Ben Childs
      05/04/2013 at 6:20pm
      Slayton Hurst Bourdon
      05/04/2013 at 4:44pm
      Rizzobot Gizzuthrie
      05/04/2013 at 3:27pm
      Nandini Ghosh
      04/04/2013 at 11:13pm
      Anonymous pledger
      04/04/2013 at 10:54pm
      sam
      04/04/2013 at 10:41pm
      Louis Alexander Dyer
      04/04/2013 at 9:51pm
      Kipp Nicholson
      04/04/2013 at 9:07pm
      Bat Mandoza
      04/04/2013 at 8:58pm
      Matt Kennedy
      04/04/2013 at 8:43pm
      Ottilie G. Smith
      04/04/2013 at 8:38pm
      Troy
      04/04/2013 at 8:33pm

      Followers of NWZ - News Site

      This campaign was successful and got its funding on 05/05/2013 at 9:28 AM.