Independent publishing site New Matilda has allowed readers to give away some of its online advertising to their favourite non-for-profit organisation or Aboriginal business.
Beginning last month readers had to subscribe to the publication and then choose their top charity or business to give away ads spots, which are currently being rolled out across the site, such as the one below.
The total advertising amount equated to $29,250, according to New Matilda’s editor Chris Graham.
Per a self-published post on the site, Graham said the company hopes to eventually gain enough subscribers it “can ‘turn off’ corporate advertising altogether”.
“We like to think that almost $30,000 in free advertising is a pretty big effort for a small, independent media outlet, and we’re extremely grateful to our subscribers who helped make it happen,” Graham wrote.
“More broadly, our long-term goal is to gain enough subscribers so that we can ‘turn off’ corporate advertising altogether, and give all our advertising space away to the not-for-profits and Aboriginal organisations that our readers are passionate about.”
Originally the offer was only for June, however New Matilda has extended the proposition to July.
So far the organisations chosen include:
- 3CR Radio
- Aboriginal Legal Service – NSW/ACT
- Aboriginal Medical Service Redfern
- Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
- Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre (AILC)
- Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME)
- Brisbane Indigenous Media Association (BIMA)
- Bush Heritage Australia
- Cathy Freeman Foundation
- Foodbank in West Footscray
- Jimmy Little Foundation
- Indigenous Community Volunteers
- Medecins Sans Frontiers
- Milingimbi Art Centre
- National Indigenous Radio Service
- Nitmiluk the tour organisation that is part of the Jawoyn Association.
- North East Bioregional Network
- Refugee Action Coalition
- Refugee Advocacy Casework Service
- Radio RRR FM Melbourne
- Sea Shepherd
- SOS Blak Australia
New Matilda went through a tumultuous time in May 2014 when the publication thought it had to close following the departure of former editor Marni Cordell.
The poaching of some of the New Matilda staff had Cordell believing it wasn’t something the site would be able to recover from easily, however Graham ended up taking up the editorship role a few days later.
