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The Problem

These days, major media sources have too many ties with people and organizations that want to influence what’s reported—think billionaire owners, mega-corporations, and big-money advertisers. Even our so-called public radio and TV are compromised by their dependency on funding from corporations, foundations, and government. And while there are thousands of excellent independent bloggers and citizen reporters out there, it’s not easy to find and identify the “good ones” and keep up with them all.

The Solution

For everyone who has been dreaming of a major independent media platform that’s free from the compromises and partisan agendas that come with a reliance on corporate advertisers and a dependency on the ultra-rich, that dream is about to be a reality. Newsbud—Where Media Integrity Matters.

Newsbud will be a truly independent alternative because it will be one-hundred percent people funded. Plus, while it will share a similar spirit with the bloggers and citizen reporters, Newsbud will have the resources and staffing to make it an easily accessed center stage for high-quality, independent reporting.

Headed up by award-winning activist, publisher, and author, Sibel Edmonds, in partnership with a network of seasoned and international producers, editors, and independent investigative journalists, Newsbud will offer original stories and investigative reports, video1-podcast productions, editorials, and discussion forums.

The Details

Newsbud will be a news and multimedia network unlike anything else online, in print, or on TV. It will offer all of the elements people expect from a large news organization and also utilize social media, a mobile app (news alerts, etc.), and other Internet platforms.

All Newsbud reports and multimedia productions will be entirely independent and nonpartisan and will be developed, written, produced, and vetted by our staff, who will be paid with funding from the public.

Except for special forums and roundtable discussions, all Newsbud contents will be free to the public. For those who want access to all of the site’s contents, the subscription fee will be $12 per year. A monthly payment option of $2 per month ($24 per year) will also be available.

Our objective is to have 50,000 subscribers by the end of year one. Assuming a $12 annual subscription, 50,000 subscribers equates to $550,000 (50,000 X $11 [annual subscription fee minus credit card processing fee]). We’d supplement that amount with two annual fundraising events. Our goal for the end of year two is to expand our subscriber base to 75,000. That would equate to $825,000, which would be enough to support Newsbud’s annual operations. Every dollar we receive that exceeds our goal will go to funding further content, expanded program offerings, additional journalists, etc.