…und die erste Ausgabe gibt es jetzt als PDF.

Gerade weil diese Summe für ein Einzelprojekt gewiss kein Kleckerbetrag ist, wirft das Projekt auch dringliche Fragen auf, die ganz grundsätzlich für Crowdfunding-Projekte zu beantworten sind. Zum Beispiel: Wer genau sind die Beteiligten an diesem Projekt? Wie wird kontrolliert, dass das eingesammelte Geld tatsächlich für dieses Projekt eingesetzt wird? Was geschieht, wenn die Projektzusagen nicht eingehalten werden? Gibt es dann das Geld zurück?

Beispielhaft für diese Fragen steht der Kommentar eines Spenders: “Please consider making accessible a very clear and transparent statement of income and expenses as you go along, and perhaps a concise balance sheet. This is particularly important in an undertaking that is so fluid and unstructured. Hopefully you have established the necessary controls for the effective management of the funds that you are raising from us. Thanks – Proud to be one of the first 5 backers of the project!”

Das PDF der ersten Ausgabe jedenfalls nennt nur einige Autoren, ein Impressum gibt es nicht und in einer Spalte wird im Namen von Organisationen, die sich “New York City General Assembly” und “Alliance for Global Justice” nennen, um weitere Spenden gebeten. Der Whois-Eintrag für nycga.net gibt keinen Namen an, nur eine Adresse an der Westküste: 11400 W. Olympic Blvd. Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA 90064, US. Was also ist davon zu halten?

Dies ist der Text über das Crowdfunding-Projekt auf Kickstarter:

PLEASE KEEP CONTRIBUTING! We don’t have billions like FOX News nor are we bankrolled by the Koch brothers. We only have YOU! You have our tremendous gratitude, but this money will only pay for two issues. The more money we get, the more newspapers, posters, stickers and flyers we can print to get out the voice of the 99%! Please keep contributing and encouraging all your friends, family and colleagues to do likewise!

***

Occupy Wall Street is the beginning of a whole new kind of democracy: a bottom-up people’s democracy led by the 99%. It is a bold vision for the future that is beginning to inspire the nation. However, to pull it off, we’re going to need a robust people’s media unbeholden to corporate money. If we want people’s democracy then we’ve got to build a people’s media — the two are inseparable.

We want to be the people’s media. Our first project is The Occupy Wall Street Journal, a four-page broadsheet newspaper with an ambitious print run of 50,000. It’s aimed at the general public. The idea is to explain what the protest is about and profile different people who have joined and why they joined. We will explain the issues involved and how the general assembly process operates at Liberty Plaza. It will also offer resources and ways to join. The emphasis will be on quality content, design, photography and artwork that uses incisive humor to make it a lively read.

Future projects include longer editions of the newspaper, bold stickers, edgy posters, colorful palm cards and inspiring flyers.

This project is a volunteer effort: every penny you donate will go directly to printing and distribution.

Occupy Wall Street Media is not the “official” media of the occupation — there is no official media! This is one attempt by a group of journalists who support the occupation to offer a way for the general public to hear the stories, perspectives and ideas from inside the movement. We think the more voices, ideas and media the better.

Förderlich für den Erfolg der Kampagne auf Kickstarter war sicher auch dieses emotionalisierende Video: