Foundation for public interest journalism takes shape

Media Release – Friday 15 November 2013

Foundation for public interest journalism takes shape

Plans for a not-for-profit foundation for public interest journalism in New Zealand are taking shape with its proposed structure being posted online at www.pij.org.nz this week.

“We’re taking the unusual step of releasing the draft trust deed because we are committed to ensuring that the proposed foundation is seen to be fully open and transparent in line with the way it is intended to operate from next year,” say co-spokespersons Alastair Thompson and Peter Griffin.

“Most importantly this is also a call to action for people who would like to show their interest in becoming a trustee or a member of the planned editorial panel to put their names forward, or to nominate others. We can then work towards appointing trustees before the end of the year.

“Since first announcing this project in April, the steering committee – which includes former NZ Herald editor Gavin Ellis and award-winning journalists Chris Barton and Alison McCulloch – has gone to every length possible to come up with a workable model that can operate as a charitable trust.

“A key purpose of the trust will be to educate the public about the role and function of independent journalism in an open, democratic society and to fund reporting and journalistic investigation to that end”.

Public comments and feedback are being invited until 2nd December.

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BACKGROUND

A new organisation for public interest journalism has taken another step towards its goal of becoming operational in 2014 by making its proposed legal structure available for public perusal and feedback this month.

As announced earlier this year the journalist-led project will be seeking charitable status for the organisation, previously called the Scoop Foundation project but now formally titled the Aotearoa New Zealand Foundation for Public Interest Journalism.

The structure of the proposed Foundation will see governance and management exercised through two entities: a trust and a company.
Issues that the steering committee considered in designing the structure include:

• registering the Foundation as entitled to receive charitable donations;

• ensuring editorial independence;

• encouraging participation and spreading the workload;

• minimising exposure of participants to defamation liability;

• recognising the small scale but active nature of journalism in New Zealand.

All positions in the new Foundation will be voluntary in the first instance and will require the participation of three groups of people. The three groups are:

1. Trustees of the Charitable Trust (not less than four and not more than seven) incorporated as a Board of Trustees with functions to support the purposes of the Foundation, including seeking and receiving funds. Under the deed Trustees can serve for five years consecutively;

2. Directors of a limited liability company (not less than 2 nor more than five) with functions relating to the publishing activities of the Foundation. The Board of Trustees is the sole shareholder of the company, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Trust, and will appoint the Directors;

3. The Editorial Panel (at least three and no more than 15), an advisory group with various functions relating to identifying and managing editorial projects as well as allocating funds. An Editorial Convenor will liaise between the company, trust and the editorial panel. The processes for the operation of the editorial panel, including appointment of members, will be formalised in a set of rules yet to be written. The Convenor will make recommendations to the Directors.

ENDS

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