More than half of the current community publications of the Philippine Press Institute (PPI) which are active in the news-aggregating platform, the www.ppinewscommons.net, finally received their revenues from the website’s advertisements.
The PPI News Commons since its inception before the COVID-19 pandemic is finally on a roll and is gaining momentum. In his report during PPI’s Annual Membership Meeting and presentation before advertisers and sponsors, News Commons chairperson and re-elected Luzon trustee Joenald Rayos explained the benefit from advertising in the commercial website which is “doing good business” as they also help in keeping community journalism alive.
The News Commons puts under one roof PPI member-community publications which have functioning websites via the Institute’s digital transformation project which most of its members in the provinces have availed of.
He also disclosed the amounts that the twenty-eight members have received which could reach to a maximum of P60,000 for a year per member-publication.
“While they cannot rely anymore on print revenues, here’s the News Commons that gives them the instrument and platform to earn to help them survive,” Rayos said, as he also clarified that this new revenue stream is not the perfect business model but still a work in progress.
The PPI News Commons is a separate legal entity from PPI as an organization which is non-stock and non-profit.