The Effectiveness of True Fans to Indy Media

When it comes to many independent media outlets, advertising is not their first option when it comes to funding. Because advertising takes away from an outlet's independence, many don't like to use advertising to help them out financially. This being said, many independent media outlets look to fans and followers to donate money. This is the case for both Josh Marshall from Talking Points Memo and Robert Greenwald's Brave New Films.

During Josh Marhsall's speech at Ithaca College, he discussed how at the beginning, he refused to use advertising because he did not want to lose any of the independence that he had. In the beginning of Talking Points memo's development, Marshall did not have a lot of money, especially money to travel and cover important political events, so when he decided he wanted to cover the primary in New Hamphsire, he told his readers about it and was surprised to find that many of them donated money for him to do just that. He realized then just how much his fan base meant to him as an independent journalist.

Although Marshall now uses advertising to support him and his website, he still recognizes and stresses the importance of readers and true fans.

This is the same thing that happened with Robert Greenwald and Brave New Films. As a documentary maker, Robert Greenwald and Brave New Films does not get the funding a Hollywood movie would get.

One day, Jim Gilliam, the co-founder of Brave New Films got the idea to go online to ask for contributions and funding; they needed funding in order to create a new film called "Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers." Gilliam sent out an email to their many potential supporters and promised them that this film would make an impact and that each person who donated would get their name in the credits.

Greenwald was not optimistic at first about getting donations from the internet, he never thought it would work, but he soon learned that it would be a principle factor in helping him make him film. After asking for help, they ended up getting $267,892 in just 10 days. This didn't all come in large donations, but most came from many people contributing smaller donations.

Like Marshall, Gilliam believes that this is the way things are going for independent media. As long as you have true fans, they will help support what you are doing in any way that they can. They will donate in order to make it happen.

"The filmmakers can make whatever kind of film they want to make as long as their fans will support it," Gilliam says. The trick is having a base. "A no-name director would have a much harder time," Gilliam agrees. But a legitimate appeal from a person known to his or her constituent community? "It completely democratizes the process," Gilliam says.

This is especially important in independent media outlets where advertising is not a way they want to be funded. It helps them stay a float and pay their staff in order to help get the truth out and in order to be true journalists. It also helps them establish themselves, and through gaining more of a base of supporters, they have more of an audience, and in turn will get more supporters.

The Internet has helped independent media in so many ways, but as we can see is helping to support and fund it as well. With true supporters and true fans, independent media will stay alive and continue to help journalism progress.