Democratic journalism and Brian Problem in Hong Kong

Brian Problem Team

[ENGLISH AT THE BOTTOM]

我地係一班由國際專業人士同熱血真．香港人組成既team。我地想建立一個可以集合所有freelance記者的網上平台，捍衛新聞同言論自由。香港既言論自由係水深火熱之際，長遠我地係好需要一個屬於freelance記者既國際平台，俾記者無博束地報導事實真相。

原因：

自反送中運動開始，記者重要性大家有目共睹。但多數大型報社都對會報導進行審查，記者被迫迎合公司既政治立場同自我審查。相反，freelance記者係報導更少限制同更自由，所以freelance記者採訪拍攝個時基本上係影乜都得，可移動性高，發揮空間俾傳統報社大。

最重要既係，佢地係真係因為熱血先願意無償上前線。雖然短時間內可以堅持到，但長遠落去並不可行，冇足夠支持既佢地好難長期作戰落去，更何況以家香港係一場長久戰！加外佢地都只係用私家相機，係以家衝突情況相機好易報銷，但佢地係完全冇得賠。

而且前線freelance 記者寫嘅嘢，影既相永遠都出唔到街。因為有政治立場同審查既大台係唔會買佢地既相，全世界好多大台都係有關係，互相牽制，所以國際新聞其實好多係有系統地操縱。大家係反送中依個活動已經可以留意到所謂既國際新聞其實都係有既定立場。另外，係香港比較敢言既大台記者要承受被辭退既白色恐怖，甚至被威脅、個人資料被公開，甚至人身安全受到傷害。我地希望我地平台可以成為記者其中一條退路，即使因政治立場被解僱都仲可以繼續為事件發聲 。

現時香港Freelance記者分散於各個平台，所以我地平台希望可以集合所有香港同外國既freelance記者同文章，一黎全世界亦到可以更多角度了解事實真相，二來方便讀者睇。

平台另一個功能就係可以就你會提供freelance記者集資調查個別事件作深入調查。讀者可以特別就單一/個別事件request 新聞報導。(就好似831事件，讀者可以donate由freelance記者發起既項目去查出真相並報導)讀者唔會再係被動接受的一群。記者同讀者可以有更多互動，而同時我地都希望新聞可以更貼地，回應返平台理念 一 Support who want to be your eyes.

運作流程：
1. Freelance記者在網站內建立並發佈報導
2. 讀者可以對鐘意既內容upvote同comment,大多數人關注既新聞會被推前(參考左連登同reddit等等)
3. 讀者亦可以建議被遺留既報道，request 要求team調查或要求報導個別事件。
4. 讀者可以follow 同donate自己鐘意睇既freelance 記者。

我希望呢個平台可以成為香港人重視言論同新聞自由既一次表態！！！

我哋要捍衛同支持每一位係前線用血用汗採訪嘅記者。因為冇咗佢哋，全世界都冇人會知嘅事實嘅全部。

Q&A

1) 如何使用眾籌所得的錢？

眾籌所得的錢會用係建立網站站費用同12個用既營運費用。 我地既建站費用大概係30萬，包括Fronten, Backenddevelopment, design 我地條team 既專業人士發揮唔同專長自己做，直接令大部分建站成本降到好低。營運既費用包括 Hosting, Domain, Editorial team, journalists, Engineering, Designs, Equipment(Camera, lighting etc)

2) 如何處理扣除營運和建站開支後眾籌所得的錢？

我地會係連登同facebook公佈所有結算會計記錄，確保大家都知道每一筆錢去左邊。所有餘款扣除日後預計營運費後會分別捐俾星火同盟抗爭支援。

3) 目標金額係幾多？

二百萬。 (with a list listing out all our expenses)

4) 長遠運作模式？會唔會長期眾籌？

唔會長期眾籌，我地亦都唔希望長期依頼眾籌支持運作。我地會以眾籌到既第一筆資金去建立長遠自給自足既生態模式。長遠我地希望平台可以改變香港新聞傳媒既運作模式，令所有freelance記者聚集我地平台我地，提供多角度既報導俾讀者同時佢地可以得到資金支持生活。

We are launching a platform for freelance journalists, with the goal of delivering more interaction between journalists and readers through 3 ways:

• Democratic journalism
• Transparent editorial process
• Crowdfunding of reporting

Since the beginning of the anti-extradition bill movement in Hong Kong, more and more people have realized just how important a free press is to society. Society becomes blinded without journalists free to find out information the public needs to know.

Nowadays, media censorship occurs in many ways, resulting in readers’ perception of reality being warped.

In journalism as it is now, readers’ consent is manufactured. Journalists should toe the line of their company’s political standpoint, bias, or point of view--otherwise they won’t be published. So journalists who don’t conform initially need to censor themselves to make a living. This is a detriment to you, the reader.

Although freelance journalists can write freely, their work is still reliant on media organizations that commission and pay them. So in the end, freelancers still need to create content that they want to get accepted by organizations that value profit, clicks, and growth rather than objectivity.

We believe that readers' trust in journalism will increase by having more interaction in the news-making process by, for example, publicly requesting for topics to be covered, or pooling funds for investigative reports.

We trust that by having a news organization funded directly by the users and giving individual journalists more independence, they will be less likely to take part in self-censorship. Become part of the freedom of the press before it becomes too late to do so. Now is the time to act. Now is the time to support journalists who write for you.

How it works

• Freelance journalists can submit content and create accounts where users can subscribe to them and give them funding for investigations. Freelance photojournalists and videographers can also submit content.

• Users can make accounts, submit content, vote on content, suggest topics to be covered, and readers can also donate/subscribe/tip/crowdfund journalists.

• The platform’s editorial board will curate what content is on the front page with the help of user votes and make edits to articles for better readability with consent from journalists. Our goal is to improve interaction and prevent censorship whether overt or self-applied.

By providing a platform for all points of views to be covered in journalism, we allow a natural distribution of opinions and information. Our editorial team will only follow the rules to avoid spam, porn, fake news, language correctness, etc. The rest is up to you, the reader. Gai you.