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Reader contributions to Tyee's Election Reporting Fund pass $13,000

With three days to go until the official close of The Tyee's provincial election-related reporting fundraiser, a surge of donations has pushed the total past the $10,000 goal.

People who still want to give before the two week long fundraiser officially ends Monday evening can do so here.

"People who donate money taking us beyond our $10,000 target will increase our impact in many ways," said Tyee editor David Beers. "For example, it'll help put reporters on the NDP and BC Liberal campaign busses -- a charge of $200 per day per bus -- so that our reporters can put Tyee readers' issues straight to Premier Christy Clark or New Democrat Leader Adrian Dix."

The Tyee's election-related fundraising has attracted notice across Canada and even in other countries. It is built on a straightforward proposition:

Members of the Tyee community are asked to contribute to the Tyee Election Reporting Fund with a guarantee that every dollar they give will go directly to reporting on an issue of their choice, tied to the B.C. election that may be called as early as late August.

So far the two top specific issues readers are saying they want covered are the environment and accountable government. Those are among a list of ten issues including:

  • Accountable Government -- Examples: election spending, transparency, freedom-of-information, voting reform, etc.
  • Arts & Community -- Examples: arts funding, community and public events, amateur sports funding, etc.
  • Crime -- Examples: rehab, criminology, policing, sentencing, social factors, etc.
  • Economy -- Examples: free trade pacts, privatization, unions, jobs, taxes & HST, agriculture, living wage, etc.
  • Education -- Examples: universal access, bargaining rights, curriculum, budget, libraries, etc.
  • Energy -- Examples: fracking, pipelines, run-of-river hydro, smart meters, grids, renewables, etc.
  • Environment -- Examples: tanker traffic, fish farming, food security, climate change, resource depletion, earthquake, floods, etc.
  • Health -- Examples: universal access, privatization, addiction, big pharma, access to healthy food, junk food taxes, etc.
  • Housing -- Examples: affordability, green building, energy efficiency, sustainability, architecture, etc.
  • Poverty and Homelessness-- Examples: minimum wage, unemployment, welfare, social housing, shelters, etc.
  • Rights and Justice -- Examples: gender equity, Insite, aboriginal topics, civil rights, etc.

Donors also can opt for Tyee Choice and let Tyee reporters follow their noses to the most important stories. That so far is the most popular category of giving.

The latest graph showing which issues contributors are directing their money to cover can be found halfway down this article.

An updated graph will be published Wednesday on The Tyee with a final tally and report from Tyee editor David Beers.

"It's nice to know that I'll be writing a success story, no matter what," Beers said on Friday. "And it's exciting to see the donations continue to flow in because I know we'll be able to do some great journalism with the resources."


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