Reports are circulating that Pierre Omidyar (founder of eBay) is partnering with Glenn Greenwald (reporter for Reuters) to create a new website. Yesterday it was reported that Greenwald was leaving his position with Reuters as NSA leaks reporter to create a new project.
Omidyar partnership with Glenn Greenwald
Although Omidyar declined to share information on the project, it should be noted the website venture will include documentarian Laura Poitras. This project will follow his history of Omidyar Network’s socially motivated investments. This network helped investing non-profit programs like Sunlight Foundation (which works to create more transparency in the government), Honolulu Civil Beat and Sahara Reporters (investigative journalism programs), and Global Voices (citizen media).
The Verge shared the following: “Speaking to NYU’s Jay Rosen, Pierre Omidyar has elaborated on the new project, to be named NewCo. He says the site will be based on a personal franchise model of journalism, attracting “individual journalists who have their own reputations, deep subject matter expertise, clear points of view, an independent and outsider spirit, a dedicated online following, and their own way of working.” The site will be funded by Omidyar personally, not through the Omidyar Network, but is intended as a for-profit venture rather than a non-profit charity.”
This collaboration project should prove to be as successful at the rest of the projects from Omidyar Network.
Omidyar concerns on government spy programs
Omidyar, who’s net worth is estimated to be $8.5 billion, is currently board chairman of eBay Inc (NASDAQ:EBAY). He’s not currently involved in day-to-day operations, but he does work on philanthropic and political interests. On his Twitter account, he shared his concerns regarding government spy programs, which were exposed by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden and Glenn Greenwald.
Snowden was officially granted asylum in Russia on August 1st, 2013. Right now, he’s living in a secret location to protect him from the United States authorities, who want to bring him back home and charge him with espionage.
