A not-for-profit trust promising to develop quality journalism in New Zealand will seek funding from members of the public.
Founder Bernard Hickey says journalism.org.nz will seek funding from as many people as possible as the venture did not want to be dependent on an individual large philanthropist.
Memberships available to the public would provide advertising-free access to a website and members would receive invitations to events to discuss public issues, he told Radio New Zealand's MediaWatch programme.
The organisation hoped to employ two to three journalists part-time initially and would work with other organisations, including universities and existing media companies, to develop stories.
"Strong news organisations become weak and vulnerable to being taken over by special interests or simply limit their coverage to the high-sugar/low-protein news that sells and rates, but never truly satisfies," Mr Hickey says on the venture's website.
Mr Hickey tweeted that he was leaving financial news website interest.co.nz from November 1 to freelance and set up the journalism initiative.
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