Editorial Comment : Gordon Campbell   25 May 2016

Since taking over as Editor at Scoop few months ago, I’ve avoided making mission statements, and have focussed on what can be done and/or set in train, given our resources. However, the PledgeMe campaign currently being run by the Scoop Foundation does provide a useful opportunity to update you on what gets done with your money. Further down the track, other documents will set out what we plan to do, resources permitting. For now, lets stick with the practical nuts and bolts.

First, some background: Scoop Foundation is the non-profit organisation that wholly owns Scoop Publishing, the entity that publishes Scoop. Scoop’s revenue comes from three main sources : a (declining) amount from advertising, from subscriptions and licensing fees and for our IP content (aka the ‘ethical paywall’) and from donations by readers.

Roughly, if the fund-raising target of 60k for this Pledge Me campaign is reached, the aim is to share those funds between (a) the operational needs of Scoop (b) several in depth journalism projects and (c) the technical re-design of the Scoop site. Previous crowd sourcing efforts have been crucial in keeping Scoop afloat and have helped us to meet commitments that accrued during what continue to be challenging times for journalism. (For example, some of the previous funds helped to meet some of the legal costs associated with setting up the Scoop Foundation as a not-for-profit charity.) In 2016, we are within sight of a position where these legacy costs will have been either disposed of or eroded, and where income meets Scoop’s operational costs on a more sustainable basis. By year’s end, income might even allow for some modest expansion of our current role. In the meantime, Scoop’s role includes :

1. Processing of press releases. Scoop functions as a national bulletin board by printing press releases from political parties, government departments, Crown agencies, the private sector, NGOs, lobby groups etc. It also records the prime ministerial post-Cabinet press conference each week, and other parliamentary press conferences. It maintains a unique archive of 17 years of such material.

2. Wellington Scoop. This site is managed by Lindsay Shelton. Lindsay and his contributors provide commentary and analysis on local government issues in Wellington, along with the relevant press releases. In this year’s local body elections, Wellington Scoop will be expanding its role as a sounding board for local body election campaign issues.

3. Campbell Blog. Since 2008, Scoop has published 3-4 columns a week times of topical commentary and research by Gordon Campbell on politics, both in New Zealand and offshore.

4. Werewolf. Once a month for the past six years Scoop has published Werewolf, a digital journal dedicated to long form journalism on politics, art and culture. Werewolf is edited and co-written by Gordon Campbell with regular contributors based around NZ, and in the US, London and Australia. Nearly 60 issues of Werewolf have been published, and archived.

5. The Scoop Intern programme. For many years, Scoop has run a programme teaching online coding and journalism to young interns from New Zealand, France and the United States. These interns make a valuable contribution to Scoop’s output. This year, the interns will be mentored more actively on their journalism assignments.

6. Scoop Journalism Projects. The Scoop Foundation was created with the aim of funding long form journalism on social issues, a role that the mainstream media now only rarely contemplates. This year, the Foundation has launched a pilot project along these lines. It has allocated funds – and is actively seeking matching funds – for what is planned to be a three-part mental health journalism series. The first instalment - an extensive investigation by Alison McCulloch into post-natal depression in New Zealand - is due to be published towards the end of the year.

7. Scoop Radio. Scoop journalist Robert Kelly co-hosts this weekly show called The Scoop Report on Radio Active, devoted to politics and featuring interviews on the topics of the day with MPs, journalists, commentators and musicians.

8. Scoop Review of Books. For several years, Scoop has published a book review section. There are plans for this section to be improved and expanded.

9. Scoop Gaza. Several years ago, Scoop pioneered the publication of on-the-ground reports from occupied Gaza. It continues to publish analysis and commentary on conditions in Gaza. As resources permit, Scoop will also revive Pacific Scoop, and will revamp its entire international coverage.

These are only some of the editorial endeavours that come under the umbrella of Scoop’s ordinary day by day, week by month operational activities. (We also publish original content in the shape of open letters, op eds and opinion pieces etc. As well, Scoop has an active and rewarding relationship with Business Desk, an independent firm whose news service we carry.) This list indicates Scoop’s commitment to informative and independent journalism. The first tranche of the funds donated will go into the ‘operational costs’ that enable us to keep on doing this work.

Re-Design. Developing mobile phone and tablet friendly versions of Scoop is a priority, and work has already begun on that task. More funds will enable us to proceed, faster. An inherent design challenge arises from Scoop’s dual function as a bulletin board for press releases, and as a site for original content. (It is all too easy to get lost.) An additional problem is the age and condition of the website framework, which will gradually need to be re-designed fit for purpose, and replaced. Therefore, another tranche of donations will be devoted to the long and costly process of re-designing the Scoop site for modern user needs. Initially, some of the early work will become evident via the tweaking of the current type-faces and fonts, but a more comprehensive re-design is planned and will unfold, as resources permit.

One facet of the Scoop re-design will occur shortly, in early June. It is intended that the Campbell blog will be folded into Werewolf, which will evolve from a monthly magazine into becoming a site for original content that will change constantly, as it picks up momentum. Werewolf will retain its commitment to long form journalism, but scope will also exist for shorter and more topical articles on politics, art and pop culture. Quality contributions from across the political spectrum will be invited. (Scoop cannot hope to become the home for the national debate if it is preaching only to the converted – although that role is necessary, too. Its too easy to feel isolated.)

Staff costs. For some time, it has seemed desirable to be more transparent about what labour costs are involved in producing Scoop. Government departments and Crown agencies regularly publish the tiers of remuneration that X number of employees receive from public money. Since it began using crowd funding as one ingredient of its operations, Scoop is also spending public money (ie. your donations). So, it seems appropriate that Scoop should be more forthcoming about how it does so.

Being more transparent about what Scoop employees are paid is useful for other reasons, too. Online journalism is a vocation, but not yet a career. Journalism is now something that people do for love and idealism, rather than for money, which is always in very short supply. Saying so is not meant to invoke some past golden age of journalism. Looking back to when journalism had far more resources, it is pretty chastening to think of how relatively little was done with those resources, and with the opportunities. Especially compared to now - when we do quite a lot, on a shoestring.

To be more precise about that shoestring. Being Scoop editor is not currently a paid gig, in that I am paid the same as I was six months ago for being a writer – ie 26k a year, for what is supposed to be a 25 hours a week job. Scoop has one person being paid a proper professional salary – but still considerably less than 100k - on the business side, to maintain financial stability and to generate sufficient income. Three other fulltime staff earn between 30-40k, annually. As the year progresses – and as resources allow - we plan to shift everyone closer to the living wage.

So, this is not a lavish operation, when it comes to labour costs. The resource constraints play out in other ways. Scoop for example, has many volunteers but little capacity to organise their efforts. This is not said to cry poverty, but to be realistic. Hopefully, our role will not always be a hand-to-mouth exercise. There are trends towards mergers and paywalls that will create opportunities for Scoop, and not simply by default. In sum, there is reason to believe that the current reliance on crowd funding may only be transitory, if and when we can build our income streams from other sources. Yet in the meantime, we need you, and appreciate you. We also hope and believe that what we’re doing is worth your support.

Thanks for your attention,
Gordon Campbell
Editor, Scoop

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