The Beacon- KC Non-Profit News Startup

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kboish
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The Beacon- KC Non-Profit News Startup

Post by kboish »

https://www.thebeacon.media/

We've been talking about this on this board for years. It looks like someone is finally moving forward with the idea. It looks like they have funds from local non-profits to get started and are currently applying for their own non-profit status. If you're interested in learning more they are having an event on Feb 19th.

I don't know much about how this organization plans to approach news, but I'm hopeful this meets KC's local news needs moving forward.
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chaglang
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Re: The Beacon- KC Non-Profit News Startup

Post by chaglang »

Thanks for sharing this.
WoodDraw
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Re: The Beacon- KC Non-Profit News Startup

Post by WoodDraw »

Very interesting. I wish they'd share some names attached but I guess it's early?

Who speaks on their behalf at these events? If anyone goes please report back.

Their funding seems legit with the caveat they haven't shared how much they've raised.
longviewmo
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Re: The Beacon- KC Non-Profit News Startup

Post by longviewmo »

WoodDraw wrote: Sun Feb 16, 2020 11:50 am Very interesting. I wish they'd share some names attached but I guess it's early?

Who speaks on their behalf at these events? If anyone goes please report back.

Their funding seems legit with the caveat they haven't shared how much they've raised.
There's a couple names listed on their team page.
WoodDraw
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Re: The Beacon- KC Non-Profit News Startup

Post by WoodDraw »

longviewmo wrote: Sun Feb 16, 2020 5:40 pm
WoodDraw wrote: Sun Feb 16, 2020 11:50 am Very interesting. I wish they'd share some names attached but I guess it's early?

Who speaks on their behalf at these events? If anyone goes please report back.

Their funding seems legit with the caveat they haven't shared how much they've raised.
There's a couple names listed on their team page.
Thanks for that, I missed it. I'll be anxious to see their funding, board of directors, and eic especially. Maybe they can get a few advisors to help launch. With the state of the star, and the surplus of good journalists in the area, it could be fun to see people really pull this off.
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FangKC
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Re: The Beacon- KC Non-Profit News Startup

Post by FangKC »

New Kansas City Newsroom on the Runway: ‘Start-ups Tend to Help Each Other’
...
A case in point is The Beacon, a Kansas City start-up that plans to start publishing this summer in a media market where the 140-year-old Kansas City Star is part of the McClatchy chain, which filed for bankruptcy protection last week. Just days after that jarring news for the Star, The Beacon is announcing its board, a key step in seeking its 501(c)(3) nonprofit status.
...
The Beacon will be free to all visitors, whether they become paying members or not. “It’s really important that we have a free core product, from a mission standpoint and for the free flow of information,” she said.
...
The Beacon will not be focused on breaking news. Ryan said her discussions with news consumers show many of them “disenfranchised with the 24-hour news cycle locally, and them wanting more context to stories. The ‘solutions journalism’ aspect in particular is very appealing to people in our area.”
...
The Beacon will not be the place to go for opinions.

“We’ve decided we’re not going to be doing opinion pieces, at least not anytime soon,” Ryan said. “And I think that’s something that can help bridge some gaps in terms of political polarization. There are a lot of opinions out there and not enough facts.”
...
https://localnewsinitiative.northweste ... index.html

Funders

https://www.thebeacon.media/funders

Donate to the startup.

https://www.thebeacon.media/donate
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