Project Uses Blockchain Tech to Reward Journalists for Their Honest Work

Blockchain technology has been called a lot of positive things because of how it can efficiently solve problems in various aspects of a business or government. But it’s important to remember that the technology isn’t a cure-all for the issues in these sectors. So what exactly are the benefits that blockchain tech can bring?

One of the good things about blockchain tech is it might be able to help end the era of clickbait articles created for third parties that fund certain journalists to create potentially biased stories. One scenario in the media is that some of those who do want to fund journalists might have agendas of their own, whether it’s related to politics, business and other fields.

As a result, accurate reporting bears the brunt of this, along with media's trustworthiness in the eyes of readers and viewers.

But what if the common people could find a way to fund these journalists in return for honest work? That’s exactly what the ConsenSys team is finding a solution to.

Called Civil, the project aims to fund journalists who deliver outstanding and accurate news. They’ll do this by incentivizing reporters for their work through micro-fees in the form of digital currencies. For instance, readers will pay a small sum for each sentence they read or for every minute they spend on an article. The fees will then be directly sent to the content producer, without going through intermediaries.

There’s also another project called Po.et, which functions as a storage of data for media assets. The goal is to fight censorship by providing a decentralized publishing platform. Controversial news that doesn’t get to see the light of day will be able to gain exposure through this system, with content producers maintaining a pseudo-anonymous status while getting funding to dig into more of the story or uncover other news that traditional media companies usually avoid.

Of course, the technology doesn’t enforce responsible journalism and deliver impartial, detailed news. That task falls directly on journalists' shoulders. Whether or not they adhere to the proper guidelines for disseminating news is still up to them. What blockchain will do, however, is award journalists who will stay true to the essence of reporting and provide a platform for news that is considered too controversial to be aired by media giants.