Entrepreneurialism or Cooperativism?

Abstract

This article understands entrepreneurial journalism as part of broader socio-economic developments associated with cognitive capitalism. Entrepreneurialism represents an attempt to accumulate profit from social and collaborative processes of knowledge creation. However, knowledge and information creation are collaborative processes that build on previous accumulated knowledge and rely on openness and exchange. The tensions within cognitive capitalism emerge from the collaborative nature of knowledge production and the problems associated with attempts to enclose this for profit. In terms of journalism, added tensions involve its public mission and social role that are antithetical to both profit and individualism. Cooperative enterprises can contribute to a reconciliation of such tensions because they operate for social benefit, and because they rely on cooperation and collaboration. This article examined journalistic cooperatives in Greece and found that they have organic bonds with the society they serve, and success is measured in terms of the benefit they produce rather than profit; they innovate in their cooperative decision making and in the forming and maintenance of social relationships; and they re-establish lost trust and community standing. In this manner they may form a credible alternative to profit-driven entrepreneurial journalism.

KEYWORDS:

• cognitive capitalism
• cooperative journalism
• entrepreneurial journalism
• innovation

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. In his class in 2009, Jarvis had his students come up with an idea, an “app, Web site, blogging tool, etc.—and convince the jury (a group of media types, like The New York Times's Brian Stelter and David Carr, along with startup founders have made appearances on it) to award you grant money from a pool of about $50,000” (Abad-Santos 2011).

2. Henry Blodget of the Business Insider (2013) estimates a success rate of 3–5 per cent among all start-ups.

3. Social cooperative enterprises (Koinseps) are required by law to return up to 35 per cent of any profits as productivity bonuses for workers, whereas the majority of profits (at least 60 per cent) must be allocated to investment and job creation. The remaining 5 per cent remains as a reserve.

4. The seven social cooperative enterprises are: Ekdoseis ton synadelfon, https://ekdoseisynadelfwn.wordpress.com/; Margot Filmhouse, http://www.margotfilmhouse.com; City of Errors, http://cityoferrors.com; FreeThoughtGroup, http://synek.gr; The Cricket, http://thecricket.gr; Hackademy, hackademy.gr; RedOnAir, http://redonair.com; and PressPublica, http://www.presspublica.gr/. The 26 ones with a different legal status include: chimeres.info/, Chimeres, Web radio; www.lacooperativa.gr/, La cooperativa, Web radio; www.toradiofono.gr/, To radiofono, Web radio; www.dromografos.org/, Dromografos, an alternative news collective; www.radiobubble.gr/, Radiobubble, Web radio; 360pedia.gr/, 360 Pedia, educational news; www.shedia.gr/, Schedia, magazine produced and sold by homeless persons; omniatv.com/, OmniaTV, collaborative news platform; enfo.gr/radio, Enfo Radio, Web radio; efsyn.gr, Efimerida Syntakton, editors’ newspaper and news site; http://www.doc4life.net/, Doc4life, cooperative photographic agency; http://96radiofm.blogspot.gr/, Flash 96 FM, Web and FM radio; http://www.ertopen.com/, Ert Open, news site; http://www.metadeftero.gr/, MetaDeutero, Web radio; http://www.chronosmag.eu/, Chronos, online magazine; http://www.pints.gr/, Pints, online magazine; http://www.humbazine.gr/, Humba, sports magazine; http://www.microvia.gr/, Microvia, news site; http://www.empneusi.gr/, Empneusi, FM and Web radio; http://www.okeanews.fr/, Okea News, news site in French; http://maga.gr/, Maga, e-magazine and Web radio; http://www.trollradio.gr/, Troll Radio, Web radio; http://multikulti.gr/, Multikulti.gr, multicultural news site; idreamteam.gr, iDREAMteam, sports news site; www.musicsociety.gr, Music Society WebradiON, Web radio; fractalart.gr, Fractal, online magazine.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Eugenia Siapera

Eugenia Siapera (author to whom correspondence should be addressed), School of Communications, Dublin City University, Ireland.

Lambrini Papadopoulou

Lambrini Papadopoulou, Department of Communication, Media and Culture, Panteion University, Greece. E-mail: [email protected]