Donations and Crowdfunding

Dossier, founded in 2011, is an independent medium specializing in investigative (data) journalism. It is published online and, since 2019, also as a print magazine, and refrains completely from advertising and sponsors to be able to guarantee its journalistic independence. The editorial team that consists of 11 persons (2023) finances itself through user-related business models such as different membership offers. In 2018, a crowdfunding campaign was carried out to make the quarterly print edition possible, to build a stronger community and secure Dossier’s existence

Austria | Digital natives

Correctiv is a new journalistic player that specialises in investigative research. The research centre was founded in 2014 by journalist David Schraven. The financing model should be as diverse as possible and is now based on three pillars: foundations, private donations as well as the centre’s own small economic operation (conducting workshops and selling books). This financing concept was intended to expand the classic model of the German media market (public vs. private commercial). The financing concept should enable independent and long-term research

Germany | Digital natives

Hauptstadt is an online media startup in the Swiss capital Bern. Inspired by tactics and mistakes made by other national media startups, they managed to pull off a successful crowdfunding and became operational in 2022. The idea of the project was to regain more media diversity in the Bernese media area and to support local democracy. Crucial to the crowdfunding was an open communication culture and exchange of experiences with other startups. A strategy that does not exist at legacy media

Switzerland | Digital natives