AR-Sitzung, 25. April 2018

• Hostwriter is an open network that helps

journalists to easily collaborate across borders.

• Our mission is to raise the quality of media

coverage by providing cross-border contacts

around the globe.

Mission Statement

• Overall objective: Enabling better reporting through

facilitating cross-border contacts worldwide.

• Project purpose: Increased collaboration through

creation of a thriving Hostwriter community.

• Indicator 1: Outreach.

• Indicator 2: Partnerships.

• Indicator 3: Web development.

Progress Report 2017

Overall objective:

Enabling better reporting through cross-border contacts worldwide.

• 3.259 members in 126 countries.

• Inspired 120 cross-border stories (based on applications to the HostwriterPrize + Agora publications).

• Presented Hostwriter at 18 conferences in 8 countries (Highlights: San Francisco, Moscow, Johannesburg).

• Launched first cross-border program The Agora Project.

• Co-hosted cross-border event at NYT Athens Democracy Forum.

Progress Overview 2017

Date & Venue

Media UnderSuspicionHow can journalism regain public faith?

12th September 201711.30 am

Speakers

Moderators

Serge SchmemannMember of the editorial boardThe New York Times

Jochen WegnerEditor in chiefDie Zeit (Zeit Online)

Simon WillsonEditor Europe Bureaux BBC News bureau chief for Brussels

Prune Antoineindependent journalist Correspondent of Nouvel Observateur

Elina MakriJournalist and Oikomedia co-founder

Tabea GrzeszykJournalists and Hostwriter co-founder

ON THE OCCASIONS OF SUPPORTED BY ORGANIZED BY

Impact Hub Athens28 Karaiskaki str, 105 54 Athens, Greece

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Project Purpose:

Increased collaboration through creation of a

thriving, active community.

• Members, countries, ratio of German members.

Project Purpose - Progress 2017

0

1500

3000

4500

6000

Baseline Stand 2017 Goal 2019

members

0

50

100

150

200

Baseline Stand 2017 Goal 2019

countries

0

10

20

30

40

Baseline Stand 2017 Goal 2019

German ratio

• Steady, organic member growth.

• Ratio of German members slightly decreased by 3,5%.

• Plans for more systematic outreach campaign in 2018.

• „Data-friendly“ analytic tool Matamo (formerly Piwik) installed to track member interactions.

• No tracking of personal data to comply with GDPR legislation, we only count total of clicks on search & contact button.

Project Purpose - Conclusions

Indicator 1:

Concerted outreach through social media, events,

conferences and ambassador program.

• Facebook, Twitter, Ambassadors

Outreach - Progress

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

Facebook Twitter

BaselineStand 2017Goal 2019

0

12,5

25

37,5

50

Ambassadors

BaselineStand 2017Goal 2019

• External communications sometimes suffered from intense project activities (The Agora Project, Athens Democracy Forum).

• Ratio of German members decreased only slightly by 3,5%.

• We created a part-time job solely for communications. Olalla joined the team in December 2017.

• „Olalla Effect“: In December, our Twitter range almost doubled to 53.500 impressions.

Outreach - Conclusions

Indicator 2:

Securing relationships with partners, fostering alumni

networks within Hostwriter.

• Deepen partnerships rather than just acquiring new logo exchanges.

• High quality partnerships, engaging in joint projects.

• Find criteria for mutually beneficial partnerships.

• journalists.network/oikomedia vs. Netzwerk Recherche/CLEW/EJC.

Partnerships - Conclusions

Indicator 3:

Highly usable, stylish and technically strong

online presence.

• # Unique visitors, streamlined online presence, improved UX.

Web development - Progress

0

50

100

150

200

Baseline Stand 2017 Goal 2019

Unique visitors• Redesigns to improve User Experience

Landing Page, Search Page

• Launch of new Subsites athens.hostwriter.org agora.hostwriter.org donate.hostwriter.org

• Commitment to Transparency

• First cycle of UX-redesign is completed: Landing- and search pages are optimized, new subsites for projects, donations & funding transparency

• Next steps: 1) Rebrush profile pages. 2) Develop new tools to strengthen trust and enable more interaction (HostWire). 3) Launch first alumni network (with Netzwerk Recherche).

Web development - Conclusions

Financial Report 2017

• Annual turnover, operating costs, total assets.

Financial Report - Overview

0

40000

80000

120000

160000

Income Expenses Total Assets

201520162017

• Institutional Support, Agora Project, O. Sprenger Hostwriter-Prize

• total: 107.384 Euro

Funding 2017

4 %4 %4 %

7 %

34 %

47 %

Adessium: Insitutional SupportAdvocate Europe: Agora ProjektOtto Sprenger: HostwriterPrizeTandem EuropeNeue deutsche MedienmacherSpenden

• Event costs, External Advise, Design and IT.

• total: 153.541,50 Euro

Expenses 2017

24 %

16 %

11 %13 %

32 %

4 %

Administration: 5.500 €Event costs: 50.000 €Design and IT: 20.000 €Outreach: 17.000 €External Advise: 25.000€Personnel costs: 37.500€

Balance Sheet 2017

Prospects for 2018

• Set up communication and outreach strategy.

• Introduce concerted ambassador program.

• Launch first alumni network with NR.

• Develop tools to increase Trust & Engagement

(HostWire).

Milestones

Communication Strategy

Regular newsletters for members & ambassadors

Contact Universities & organizations

Social Media Facebook &

Twitter

Outreach campaign: HostwriterPrize18

#StoryPrize17, winners #StoryPrize17, 2nd place

Set up Ambassador network

• Produce Ambassador kit & guidelines.

• Launch ambassadors.hostwriter.org.

• Organize physical Ambassador Meeting.

• Employ project manager for Ambassador network

(part-time).

• Integrate a CRM-System („Costumer Relation

Management“).

Ambassadors - next steps

• Secured: Institutional Support, Stiftung Mercator, Augstein Foundation

• Pending: Google Impact Challenge (250.000€), Prototype Fund (47.500€), Schöpflin Foundation (Part-time CTO), Bosch Foundation (Tutorials)

• Total secured: 108.000 Euro

Prospects: Funding 2018

2 %5 %7 %

28 % 57 %

Adessium Foundation: 60.000€Stiftung Mercator: 30.000€Augstein Foundation: 10.000 €Neue deutsche Medienmacher: 5.000€Netzwerk Recherche: 2.500€Donations: 500€

Let’s cross fingers!