Editor’s notes from the run up to the Contributoria launch

Launch day for a big 2014 initiative, done. Yesterday saw the official launch of Contributoria.com, a collaborative journalism platform I co-founded and which I am now the editor of.

Sort of.

Being called ‘editor’ probably isn’t exactly the right title tbh but, in the absence of anything better, I’ll roll with it. However, there are some major differences from the established idea of editorship which I’ll try to explain more about here.

The whole ethos of the new platform is transparency in the editorial process, so I thought I should walk the walk in terms of outlining some of my own approach so here’s some of the things which have been happening behind the scenes in the run up to launch day.

With other websites I’ve been involved in launching (such as this, this, this and this) there’s been a clear audience in mind (mostly geographically based) and an editorial tone, largely reflected from the culture of an associated publisher.

But in the case of Contributoria, the direction, tone, style and even the exact content published will not be decisions made by me as, very soon, they’ll be made collectively by the members.

This will undoubtedly raise many editorial issues along the way and in fact already has done with the launch of the first issue.

As anyone who’s produced a launch publication will know, the standard form is to create pages of Latin text so that writers, advertisers and other stakeholders can get a general feel for the look and layout of a product without being distracted by questions of content, taste and tone.

But that doesn’t really wash in the digital space where users’ time deserves something substantial and rewarding. We didn’t just want the tell people about the concept, we needed to show people how the site all worked while giving them something to enjoy, do, browse etc. while they checked us out. To see it happening for real.

And because there’s a three month publishing cycle for the platform, that’s meant commissioning some pieces for the first two issues. So there was the first editorial issue – with no geography (it’s global), no defined audience ( for everyone) , no established tone, just what should go in these early issues before the members, who will be the actual editorial decision-makers, have even signed-up?

Rather than theme an entire issue, I went for a diverse topics of interest – the biggest news story of 2013, IMO, (Snowden) is reflected in a think piece by a former whistleblower; the cultural shifts in women’s literature is highlighted; a piece of history in the now overlooked grandeur of Corn Exchanges ; what I can only describe as ‘an ode to fish and chips‘ (because you can’t go wrong with a piece about that great universal, food, right?!).

They don’t particularly hang together – there’s no similarity in the style of each writer for a start. Each piece is strong in its own way but, I didn’t want them to express a particular tone or direction when taken as a whole. In fact the only thing each of the writers have in common is that they are all women.

Splash?!

And then there’s the thorny idea of priority. If the site was to lead on Snowden it would send a very different message to leading on fish and chips or erotica, and so on. This is where online technology can help out in a way that flat dummies can’t. The issue actually appears differently each time it is loaded with the stories appearing in random order with the exception of the introduction from myself, Matt and Dan which needs to remain in situ to explain our newcomer’s purpose.

These early decisions probably haven’t pleased everyone but I do hope they’ve provided some talking points as well as demonstrating the site in a comprehensive and effective way. I guess next month’s selection could also raise eyebrows – in the pipeline is another diverse selection including an informed view about peace processes alongside a cool, underground music article.

(Btw.If there’s something you’d particularly like to see, please feel free to drop me a line or, even better, join up to Contributoria and propose your own article and make it happen.)

But then, THEN, once the February issue is on the virtual shelf, it’s over to the members to join us in taking up the editorial reins. There’s already some great proposals in for people to consider backing.

Direction as yet undecided. I can’t wait.