Local Media Needs Security. What Chance the Rapper’s Purchase of Chicagoist Means.

How will Chance build and compensate his staff? As optimists have noted, Chicagoist has an incredible opportunity to help local writers of color develop their talent. But that means paying viable salaries and freelance fees and not opposing unionization — problems that have bedeviled online media companies over the last decade.

There’s also the looming matter of how Chance’s connection to the site would affect coverage. He has an array of local business and nonprofit partners, as well as personal relationships with prominent figures like Kanye West and the Obamas, who both have ongoing controversies in Chicago related to their work.

Chance, to his credit, has spoken out against those in his orbit. But without a transparent plan to address conflicts, Chicagoist’s editorial independence would regularly be in question.

And finally, when — not if — challenges mount, will Chance continue to support the site? Look no further than The Denver Post, L.A. Weekly, The Village Voice and, most recently, The New York Daily News to see how moguls invested in a media property with a shaky model, then let it hemorrhage journalists before withdrawing from important beats in the name of saving more dollars.

There’s a lot about Chicagoist that Chance should aim to change. The pre-Chance Chicagoist, where I was a contributor from 2010 to 2012, did not pay for freelance stories until 2015. Even then, the rate was below market — usually less than $80 a post — though the site itself was almost entirely reliant on contributors. That’s no way to build up a roster of locally focused journalists.

Fortunately, there are already news sites covering Chicago the right way, which offer Chance a blueprint for moving ahead. Around town, despite hard times, these outlets successfully balance editorial integrity, a full paid staff and robust reporting with organizational solvency.

Block Club Chicago, conceived by ex-DNAinfo staffers, was boosted by a crowdfunded campaign and is now supported through subscriptions and the blockchain-centered platform Civil. The Triibe, which runs a more lightweight operation, also crowdfunded and is banking long-term growth, in part, on grants.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/31/opinion/culture/chance-the-rapper-chicagoist.html?partner=rss&emc=rss