Pierre Omidyar, eBay founder, is also the founder of the Honolulu local Civil Beat. The site posted Omidyar’s memo on his new venture in which he writes,
As many of you know, I’ve had an interest in journalism for some time now. I’ve been working on Civil Beat for three years and through my philanthropic work at Omidyar Network and Democracy Fund, we’ve supported many efforts around the world related to media, citizen engagement, and government transparency and accountability.
Separate from my work with Omidyar Network and Democracy Fund, and as part of my growing interest to preserve and strengthen the role journalism plays in society, I explored purchasing The Washington Post over the summer. That process got me thinking about what kind of social impact could be created if a similar investment was made in something entirely new, built from the ground up. Something that I would be personally and directly involved in outside of my other efforts as a philanthropist.
Mmmm maybe getting experience at a local site is not such a bad idea. Mission heavyweights, here’s your chance.