Recruits are needed!
Forming a Cooperative for Independent Journalism in Cologne
In response to adverse economic conditions, a group of individuals in Cologne is coming together to form a cooperative for independent journalism. This cooperative aims to continue independent reporting and support local news coverage, investigative reporting, and serving specific communities.
If you have experience in founding a cooperative, you are invited to get involved by reaching out at hallo@unsere Website. The public can find more background information and sign up for the newsletter on www.unsere Website/aktuell/support/.
To successfully form this cooperative, follow these steps:
- Research and Build Consensus Begin with a core group of interested journalists or stakeholders who share a common purpose. Discuss and clarify your mission, goals, and what the cooperative aims to achieve.
- Develop a Cooperative Business Plan Draft a clear but flexible business plan outlining your cooperative’s mission, target audience, content strategy, revenue streams, and operational costs.
- Draft Bylaws and Governance Structure Create bylaws that specify membership eligibility, decision-making processes, profit or surplus distribution, roles and responsibilities, and other operational details.
- Legal Registration Register your cooperative with the relevant state or local authority under cooperative-specific statutes. This often involves filing articles of incorporation and submitting your bylaws.
- Secure Funding Obtain startup capital through member equity contributions, grants, community fundraising, or loans from mission-aligned lenders.
- Establish Operational Infrastructure Set up necessary organizational elements, such as a board of directors, editorial standards, workflows, collaboration tools, and cybersecurity practices.
- Launch and Grow Membership Recruit members to contribute financially and editorially. Engage the community you serve to build trust and sustainability.
The cooperative also aims to buy the website collective located at Maastrichter Str. 49. The current issue of the website collective is dated 7/2025. The cooperative is keeping the public updated through its mailing list and invites individuals with experience in founding cooperatives to get involved.
Best practices for independent journalism cooperatives include fostering collaborative reporting and partnerships, prioritizing editorial independence, staying connected with networks of similar cooperatives, implementing strong cybersecurity measures, and regularly revisiting and adapting your cooperative’s mission and operations.
The public is invited to support the website rescue and can express interest in becoming a member of the cooperative. For more information and updates, visit www.unsere Website/aktuell/support/.
- The cooperative in Cologne, aiming to continue independent reporting, also plans to purchase the website collective at Maastrichter Str. 49, marking a significant expansion of their home-and-garden lifestyle focus.
- To maintain the success and longevity of their lifestyle journalism cooperative, members are encouraged to implement best practices such as fostering collaborative reporting, prioritizing editorial independence, embracing strong cybersecurity measures, and consistently adapting their operations.
