The Sunrise News
A local platform for citizen reporters
Why reading matters
We want to know the news, but why do we want to read the news?
The reasons are many and varied. It may be that you are a member of a society and community, and you want to belong. Or you may want to gain a different perspective. As a member of society, you would like to share common knowledge. You want to know because it is necessary for doing business. You want to know out of curiosity. You want to know what happened in your neighborhood. Or you just want to take a mental break.
But there is one important point: whether you believe the news.
“IN GOD WE TRUST”
U.S. currency bears this motto, and the key words are “We Trust.” If we don’t share a common belief in this piece of paper, the currency has no value. If we don’t have the foundation of believing in this currency, it will not circulate. In the same way, if you don’t believe in the platform or source of news, then the news has no meaning. How much news is worthy of believing in this era of overinformation? Building trust should be a future task for journalists. As for the value of the news, just as the Founding Fathers established a firm belief in U.S. currency, journalists and their platforms must establish the value of news.
So I would like to set up a local news platform with citizens reporting and receiving news on the basis of mutual trust.
I am making progress with my business model. The citizen reporter’s registration fee will be $5 a month to submit an unlimited number of articles to Sunrise. If you are not a citizen reporter but are registering as a reader, you will also pay $5 a month. Anyone can read Sunrise headlines and summaries for free, but the full text is not visible unless you register. I calculate the editing fee at $10 an hour.
Fees paid to citizen reporters for articles, pictures and videos will range from $20 to $40, depending on how many people read them, the number of page views, etc. Of course, if a newspaper company asks citizen reporters for photos, videos or manuscripts, the posting fee paid to them will be higher.
The editor is also evaluated by citizen reporters. We ask them to evaluate whether we have done proper editing on a five-star system, like Uber service.
The Sunrise platform corrects citizen reporters’ manuscripts, but it is also a service that delivers necessary information to everyone in the area. Through this service, I hope to increase the degree of citizens’ overall information literacy and involvement in democracy.
Now the prototype is almost finished, and it is time to test it with some citizen reporters. There are restrictions on how much text they can write, how they can write articles, how they can take photos. I can anticipate the reporters’ questions, and I will have to set rules.
While explaining my business model, I was once asked, “What is the pain point of your business model?” I could not answer immediately. However, I explained my business model to many people, and in the process I collected my thoughts.
What do people think about the problem, and what is the value created when it is resolved?
I narrowed it down to the following three questions.
Question 1. Ordinary people think there is some problem in their writing. They want professional editors to help them write in a way that is easy to read and understand.
Value 1. Create value by teaching people how to write through courses and editing.
Question 2. People are dissatisfied with their own place in the media because they have no way ensure accuracy and reliability in their writing.
Value 2. Provide opportunities by providing a way to guarantee reliability and accuracy.
Question 3. There is no place to share information on the area in which we live.
Value 3. Provide platforms on the web and opportunities for face-to-face exchanges that will connect people.
I feel that a citizen needs training to become a citizen reporter. Therefore, I would like to expand the number of citizen reporters while generating income by offering fee-based courses such as lectures on writing articles and courses on photography.
At first the agency will focus on events in the small local areas of community organizers or community collaborators. I want The Sunrise News to play the role of information platform in the local community.
The ultimate goals are to become a community platform, to share more accurate and reliable information, and to enrich residents’ relationships. So I have adopted 12 principles to advance my business model:
1. We aim to create new relationships between reporters and readers, making everyone a potential reporter.
2. We aim not only to deepen connections within the community, but also to connect with a world we don’t know.
3. We play the role of maps, compasses and guides in journalism.
4. We share the information citizens really want.
5. The citizen reporter becomes a stakeholder by paying a monthly registration fee. We distribute profits equally.
6. We will respect the free opinions of citizens, but we will not slander individuals or organizations.
7. Each citizen will have a platform to contribute to democracy.
8. To promote justice, we will fight corrupt power and violence.
9. We are committed to reporting with objectivity and accuracy.
10. We aim to give our readers happy and fruitful lives through our coverage.
11. We aim to foster a sustainable society, with a goal of peace and justice for all.
12. We will maintain personal privacy and actively use new technologies.
I would be delighted to hear your opinions on The Sunrise News at ayuzawa0427@gmail.com. Thank you.
