ABSTRACT
This chapter will focus on the different ways journalists who crowdfund identify professionally in relation to the journalistic norms of autonomy and independence, how they characterize their relationships with funders, and ethical concerns that arise. This chapter addresses how journalists negotiate their relationships with donors, from those who construct “invisible walls” (Coddington, 2015) between the money and the story, and state outright that they will not be swayed by the audience, to those who feel this is not even an issue that needs considering.
This chapter also explores the different ways the crowdfunding journalists identify in relation to the journalistic norm of “fairness and balance” (Deuze, 2011). While there are those who strive to maintain this norm, others are crowdfunding as a way to create advocacy journalism or journalism with a “point of view.” In terms of crowdsourcing, this chapter examines how journalists view and negotiate their relationships with the “crowd” when they are drawing on them as sources of information, whether as witnesses, experts, or sharing experiences. It also examines the ethical issues at play with crowdsourcing, including the necessity of verification, and how to assess and account for accuracy.
