NowPublic to recruit 1,000 paid cit-j producers

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There used to be something here that couldn't be migrated - please contact us at info@journalism.co.uk if you'd like to see this updated! NowPublic , one of the world's best known citizen journalism sites, is hoping to recruit 1000 paid citizen producers by the end of 2010 as part of its new 'select' editorial and business model.

It is hoped that 100 citizen journalists will sign up to the scheme by March, in which producers supply content in exchange for payment, traffic, training and career benefits, NowPublic said.

For the first time since the site's launch in 2005, producers will be paid and have their content edited.

The new producer acquisition scheme is part of the site's attempt to build a sustainable business model, that "attracts higher quality" writers, photographers and videographers, Joy Gugeler, VP for publishing, (content & partner acquisitions) told Journalism.co.uk.

It will pay users and give them one-on-one attention early on in their web career "to develop good skills and establish a ratio of editor-writer that is personal as well as professional," she added.

NowPublic was investor funded until bought by Clarity Digital Group - owners of Examiner.com - in October 2009. Now, NowPublic hopes that advertising will become a key foundation of its model, "rather than have to sell subscriptions or set up pay walls". It currently attracts around five million readers per month.

The payment model will give users 20 per cent of ad revenue earned from content - going up to 30 per cent "with quality and quantity" - once Google Adsense's revenue-share scheme is implemented on the site.

Until this development is completed, the site is offering the select producers a page view rate.

Producers will receive a statistical report at the end of each month showing total and per article page views and the corresponding earnings.  Once the Google application is in place, users will be paid via Adsense and have access to detailed reports in Analytics with an Adsense login.

Since making the call for the 'select' producers earlier this month, Gugeler has had about 100 enquiries, she said.

NowPublic is specifically looking for UK writers, she added: "Our international coverage and membership, along with our multimedia live-search emphasis is what sets us apart - 'content + context + conversation'".