Thanks to Robert Feder and his tweet we learn about a new operation being created by former editors of DNAInfo Chicago. Last fall the news outlet which also owned Chicagoist was abruptly shut down after the DNAInfo affiliate in New York decided to unionize. DNA Info is owned by Joe Ricketts whose son Tom Ricketts owns the Chicago Cubs.
BREAKING: Former @DNAinfoCHI editors @stoomey @jensabella @slulay2 reunite to launch @BlockClubCHI neighborhood news site: https://t.co/OhfPd0mhy2 pic.twitter.com/SXIk1lXKGK— Robert Feder (@RobertFeder) February 6, 2018
Five full-time reporters/producers — Kelly Bauer, Mauricio Pena, Alisa Hauser, Mina Bloom and Lee Edwards — will comprise the initial news staff along with a team of freelance contributors. Bauer, Pena, Hauser and Bloom previously worked at DNAinfo.Here's hoping that when this venture is up and running BlockClubChi will soon be covering the many stories that occur in our communities as DNAInfo had. I'm glad to see there will be some efforts towards that.
While the approach to covering Chicago neighborhoods will be similar to that of DNAinfo, Block Club Chicago will rely on a subscription-based model for funding. Readers will be asked to subscribe once they reach a certain number of stories each month. Prices have not been set, but they’re likely to be around $4.99 a month.
In addition to a Kickstarter campaign, major support will come from Civil, a new decentralized, blockchain-based platform that’s helping start up hyperlocal newsrooms across the country. Civil was launched last year with $5 million from ConsenSys, the world’s premier venture crypto studio.
Sabella briefly worked as managing editor of The Takeout, a food site from The Onion and The A.V. Club, before rejoining Toomey and Lulay to create Block Club Chicago.
No comments:
Post a Comment
PLEASE READ FIRST!!!! Comment Moderating and Anonymous Comment Policy
While anonymous comments are not prohibited we do encourage you to help readers identify you so that other commenters may respond to you. Either read the moderating policy for how or leave an identifier (which could be a nickname for example) at the end of the comment.
Also note that this blog is NOT associated with any public or political officials including Alderman Roderick T. Sawyer!