Renegade Inc. wants to bring independent voices to economics
“The freethinking of one age is the common sense of the next”, wrote the cultural critic, Matthew Arnold in the late 19th Century. But in the 21st Century freethinking is a challenge to find in our global media. In an age where we have extensive social media platforms at the same time as rich oligarchs with narrow, political agendas own media outlets. In that environment, a lot of interesting, independent voices are ignored.
That’s why London-based Renegade Inc. wants to create an alternative media outlet which “informs, illuminates and inspires” and focuses on entrepreneurship, self-learning about economics and the arts. With 12 hours to go they have raised about $44,000 toward a $45,000 goal.
“Now is the time for an independent media platform that works in partnership with its audience. As this is better suited to our interconnected age than agenda-driven media that permanently transmits but rarely listens,” their Kickstarter page said. “In fact, at a time when the world needs sensible alternatives, their opinions are vital.”
Renegade Inc. was created by the team behind Four Horsemen, a 2012 film that criticized bankers and politicians who now enjoy what Milton Friedman called “socialism for the rich.”
Founders Ross and Megan Ashcroft chose to crowdfund because they said they could no longer fund their project from their own resources and wanted to broaden their platform whilst remaining independent.
The money they plan to raise will enable them to build their media platform and content. In return, supporters of the project can make editorial suggestions for their podcasts and online films.
By 2016, they plan to launch a subscription funding model to fuel reporting on “hard to get stories” that matter.
