Once Magazine

Crowdfunding and the Future of Photojournalism

If you care about newspapers, magazines, books, or anything good and holy, then you’ve probably been privy to the publishing-is-in-the-tubes conversation for sometime. I agree, to an extent, that publishing has seen better days—the operative word here being “extent.”

True, many legacy print publications are struggling. But those unafraid to innovate and think creatively about their delivery channels and the opportunities that arise from an increasingly tech savvy customer-base are riding the waves of change, rather than swimming for shore. Even the New York Times, the old warhorse of journalism, has recognized the need to change and will start charging for online content next week. The digital tide is rising, carving out room for new publishers (e.g., Once Magazine, Inc., Fraction Magazine, Bold Italic, and The Rupus) to emerge. On the other hand, those that cling to traditional practices and gird their loins in preparation for the worst are, for the most part, experiencing the worst. The lesson is clear: innovate, or else.   

Open-source or community-based fundraising is one of the innovations helping to reshape the contours of the publishing world, ensuring that quality journalism and, more specifically, photojournalism remain viable. Community-based fundraising sites like Kickstarter, Emphas.is and Spot.us enable writers and photographers to connect directly with their audiences and produce quality long-form pieces, usually at reduced or even no cost to publishers.

To be clear, these companies are conducting an experiment in funding, but their experiment is proving wildly successful. Emphas.is has raised over $10,000 for documentary photographers in its first two weeks of operation.  

These new funding avenues are not intended for hobbyists or the faint of heart. Rather, established and award-winning journalists have been leveraging these sites in droves. Take Matt Eich for instance. A founding member of the LUCEO collective, Eich is very active and respected in the photojournalism community. He is using Emphas.is to fund his Sin & Salvation in Baptist Town project—which looks incredible by the way. Aaron Huey’s newest venture, The Pine Ridge Billboard Project, with Shepard Fairey, the prolific street artist behind Obey and the Obama Hope Campaign, is also up on Emphas.is. His proposed undertaking blurs the lines between traditional journalism, street art, and the way people consume media—an ambitious and imaginative project that may not have been possible before the arrival of crowdfunding.

Today there are even websites where the publications themselves can receive support. Profounder is a great example of a platform that connects community supporters of all sizes with projects and enlivened entrepreneurs. Their smooth accounting backend has been a boon for a number of start-ups, facilitating funding from family, friends, and community investors. 

While some may find it disheartening that the publishing world has turned to grassroots fundraising practices, I do not. As far as long-term assignments go, only the most successful publications have ever been able to afford this kind of immersive work. With heavy contributor overhead out of the way, these new funding practices might just catalyze a resurgence in long-form journalism—a resurgence that Once is excited to be a part of. 

— Nick