Dave Maass

So, the idea is to get newsrooms to send books from their review piles to us so we can ship ‘em to Liberia. There, the books will be distributed for free to reporters, probably as prizes for journalistic achievement or as compensation for attending training seminars. Here’s the press release I wrote up:

Inline version of the text also after the jump.

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Great news: Semantics King Jr has filed the paperwork, payed the fees (thanks to y’all generosity) and received non-profit incorporation for NewLiberian.com in the state of Minnesota. We haven’t achieved tax-exempt status–that will take years–but through a partnership with the Niapele Project, we’re now able to accept tax-deductible contributions.

Now that we’ve reached this landmark, we’re hashing out where to take the site next. We’re long overdue for a design overhaul, we’re discussing a journalists’ book drive and we would love to raise some funds to compensate and recruit more local writers in Liberia, Ghana and Accra.

Hit us with your ideas.

Semantics King Jr. and I need to raise $209 to pay NewLiberian.com’s incorporation fees.

This is a big step towards becoming a formal news organization. The Niapele Project is advising us on the process and accepting tax-deductible donations on our behalf. I’ll have more information for you about NewLiberian.com’s history and future as I prepare for a Facebook campaign. (I’ve got more than 400 friends, so really, all I need is an average of 50 cents.)

Of course, there’s nothing stopping you from donating now–just click on the widget’s “Chip In” button.

Obviously, there’s a question of conflict of interest when it comes to journalists soliciting money. For the record, I don’t think I’ll be able to see who these contributions are coming from. Well, it turns out I will be able to see who donated (so far just friends, family and old-school supporters). If any of my “sources” want to contribute, please do not send a contribution so large as to make me feel uncomfortable.