There are many causes that require charitable donations, so many that it is impossible to determine which ones to take seriously.
With unprecedented disparity between rich and poor, many at the lower end of the economic spectrum survive off handouts from the well off. The media industry is no different, and small companies are under threat from corporate conglomerates that can outspend them by millions of dollars.
Responsible and independent outlets have been replaced by ratings driven news media, creating a serious crisis in public awareness and knowledge. They need outside help, and can only survive because of it.
The Real News is a serious, non-corporate news organization featuring journalism and analysis that MSNBC could only dream about. Created and chaired by Canadian documentary make Paul Jay, The Real News focuses on issues that effect everyday people, with balanced international reporting from a variety of sources. It is hard hitting, interesting and an extremely important source of real news (as their name suggests).
Here is a short promo clip from their site explaining what they do:
With a group of concerned and motivated friends, I started my own progressive website to help the fight against declining standards in reporting. It is very, very hard to make a living in independent media, so I understand how crucial it is for full time projects like The Real News to get funding. We sell ad space on our site, and are taking a more commercial approach to growing our business. The Real News does not.
They take no money from advertising, corporate sponsors or government, relying only on donations from conscientious viewers -- a step further than most independent outlets are willing to go to (including myself). If you haven't watched their programming, start now. If you are serious about maintaining responsible journalism in the age of corporate dominance, donate now. The future of independent journalism depends on it.
Ben Cohen is the editor of www.thedailybanter.com and a contributing Mixed Martial Arts writer to www.espn.com. He can be reached at thedailybanter@gmail.com