30 April 2012

South African homophobia story features across Africa

The Big Issue Malawi's republication
A story about the difficulties faced by gay asylum seekers in South Africa shocked readers in other African countries.

South Africa may have the most progressive constitution to protect sexual orientation in Arica, but gay asylum seekers' dreams of freedom often turn into nightmares when they discover the yawning chasm between the liberal ideals of South Africa's Constitution and harsh reality.

The Big Issue Malawi published the feature story, which was originally published by colleague paper The Big Issue South Africa. View the clipping of the Malawian publication below:
Eine Geschichte über die Schwierigkeiten, mit denen homosexuelle Asylsuchende in Südafrika konfrontiert werden schockiert Leser in anderen afrikanischen Ländern.

Südafrika hat zwar die fortschrittlichste Verfassung zum Schutz der sexuellen Orientierung in ganz Afrika, aber die Freiheitsträume homosexueller Asylsuchender verwandeln sich oft in Alpträume, wenn sie die gähnende Kluft zwischen den liberalen Idealen der südafrikanischen Verfassung und der harten Realität entdecken.

The Big Issue Malawi veröffentlichte einen Artikel, der ursprünglich von The Big Issue Südafrika veröffentlicht wurde. Sehen Sie einen Ausschnitt der malawischen Veröffentlichung hier.

Plight of gay asylum seekers highlighted in Africa

The Big Issue Malawi
A story about the difficulties faced by gay asylum seekers in South Africa shocked readers in other African countries.

South Africa may have the most progressive constitution to protect sexual orientation in Arica, but gay asylum seekers' dreams of freedom often turn into nightmares when they discover the yawning chasm between the liberal ideals of South Africa's Constitution and harsh reality.

The Big Issue Malawi published the feature story, which was originally published by colleague paper The Big Issue South Africa. View the clipping of the Malawian publication below:

Eine Geschichte über die Schwierigkeiten, mit denen homosexuelle Asylsuchende in Südafrika konfrontiert werden schockiert Leser in anderen afrikanischen Ländern.

Südafrika hat zwar die fortschrittlichste Verfassung zum Schutz der sexuellen Orientierung in ganz Afrika, aber die Freiheitsträume homosexueller Asylsuchender verwandeln sich oft in Alpträume, wenn sie die gähnende Kluft zwischen den liberalen Idealen der südafrikanischen Verfassung und der harten Realität entdecken.

The Big Issue Malawi veröffentlichte einen Artikel, der ursprünglich von The Big Issue Südafrika veröffentlicht wurde. Sehen Sie einen Ausschnitt der malawischen Veröffentlichung hier.

26 April 2012

INSPiring the future of street papers

By Sam Best

Glasgow-based charity the International Network of Street Papers (INSP) presented its latest innovation, INSP Digital, during its event 'INSPiring Business Success in the Digital Age' at Glasgow's City Chambers last night.

Designed to move with the publishing market, INSP Digital will enable street vendors to now offer their customers two options – print and digital magazines – priced equally. This move aims to keep existing readers whilst expanding into digital format. Asked about the transition into digital media, INSP’s digital project consultant David Craik said that street papers face a particular challenge, as “it’s through that [face-to-face] interaction – and that transaction – that vendors earn their income.”
The Lord Provost at INSP's event in Glasgow's City Chambers,
25 April 2012. [Photos: Megan Fitzsimons]

To retain the crucial vendor-buyer contact on the streets, customers wanting to purchase the digital version of their street paper buy a card carrying a unique QR code which can be scanned on compatible devices. Readers can then access their digital street paper through their smartphone, tablet or computer.

The digital scheme will be piloted this summer in Britain and the USA. The first paper to trial the product is The Big Issue in the North in Manchester, followed by StreetWise in Chicago. If a success, the digital technology will be made available to all 122 street papers in the INSP network.

With a global street paper readership already in excess of 6 million, the digital concept has scope to become one of the world’s largest digital media platforms, as well as providing the opportunity for readers to purchase foreign language papers for the first time.

INSP Executive Director Lisa Maclean believes the wide readership of street papers is key to the success of the model, stating that:

INSP's digital project consultant David Craik explains
 the details to INSP Patron, the Lord Provost of Glasgow.


“The content of street papers is important: homeless vendors aren’t selling fruit, phones or socks, they’re selling news and information. Street papers can challenge public perceptions of poverty and social injustice – with more than 6 million readers globally, they provide a powerful platform for unheard voices.”

John Maxwell Hobbs, Head of Technology at BBC Scotland, and guest speaker at last night’s event, thinks the world is ready for digital street papers: “People are becoming more and more accustomed to reading online or reading on the go. Actually, if you’re buying on the street it’s easier because sometimes you might not want to have to carry this magazine around. [Digital] also has a better chance of being read, and has an advantage in being more ecological.”

John Maxwell Hobbs, Head of Technology at BBC Scotland.
But the biggest advantage, according to Maxwell Hobbs, is that INSP Digital “will increase the readership. It will aid consumer interaction with the media and will engage readers in a different way.”

His view is shared by award-winning investigative journalist Eamonn O’Neill: “The digital version will create and democratise and evangelise the audience, making it wider. It will also make it much more 24-hour, relevant and up to date. INSP Digital will also be much easier to interact with online, through tweeting and blogging.”

“I have no doubt that the INSP initiative of producing both a print version and a digital version will not only help get the message across and give a platform for people who want to write for them, but that one will enhance the other.”
Event MC and journalist Eamonn O'Neill
and Richard Bissland from 999 Design.

 







Although the move to digital media has been widely used to combat declining print sales, INSP reports that street papers are in fact increasing in circulation, with global figures from 2010 up 10% in just one year. The move to digital therefore is rather an opportunity to broaden the readership.

“It can widen the audience: the QR code idea is something that’s immediately appealing to a younger audience, and it’s something that the younger audience is already comfortable with”, said Jude Kerrigan, Senior Account Director at 999 Design, who was involved in the pro bono rebrand of INSP, launched earlier this month.

Sunday Herald Editor Richard Walker believes that INSP’s latest project shows that it is ahead of the game when it comes to media development: “INSP Digital might be a slow burner, but as people become more in tune with technology it will take over.”

Kickstarter
INSP will soon launch an online fundraising campaign on Kickstarter. The money raised through 'crowdfunding' could enable the charity to roll out the digital street paper project globally. Watch this space!

23 April 2012

The Big Issue South Africa's birthday messages from around the world

 For The Big Issue South Africa's 15th Anniversary Edition, vendors from around the world sent a special message.

By asking vendors from colleague street papers what the word 'birthday' means to them, The Big Issue South Africa managed to engage its readers and show them just how big the street paper movement is. Or, as they put it themselves in the birthday edition: "Although far flung, we're a close-knit family."

One of the vendor contributions, from Anna Cinderella, who sells street paper Faktum in Sweden, can be found here.

To see the full story in The Big Issue South Africa, click here.

Straßenzeitungs-Verkäufer aus der ganzen Welt schickten dem "Big Issue South Africa" zu seiner Spezialausgabe anlässlich des 15.

Jahrestags des Magazins eine besondere Botschaft. "The Big Issue South Africa" schaffte es, seine Leser besonders einzubinden, indem er Verkäufer anderer Straßenzeitungen bat zu erklären, was das Wort "Geburtstag" für sie bedeutet. So zeigte das Magazin auch, wie groß die Straßenzeitungs-Bewegung eigentlich ist. Oder, wie sie es selbst in ihrer Geburtstags-Ausgabe ausdrückten: "Obwohl wir weit verstreut sind, sind wir doch wie eine Familie, die eng zusammenhält". 


Der Beitrag von Anna Cinderella, die in Schweden die Straßenzeitung Faktum verkauft, finden Sie hier.

Die ganze Geschichte aus dem "Big Issue South Africa" lesen Sie hier.

The Big Issue South Africa's 15th Anniversary Edition





For The Big Issue South Africa's 15th Anniversary Edition, vendors from around the world sent a special message.

By asking vendors from colleague street papers what the word 'birthday' means to them, The Big Issue South Africa managed to engage its readers and show them just how big the street paper movement is. Or, as they put it themselves in the birthday edition: "Although far flung, we're a close-knit family."

One of the vendor contributions, from Anna Cinderella, who sells street paper Faktum in Sweden, can be found here.

To see the full story in The Big Issue South Africa, click here.




Straßenzeitungs-Verkäufer aus der ganzen Welt schickten dem "Big Issue South Africa" zu seiner Spezialausgabe anlässlich des 15.

Jahrestags des Magazins eine besondere Botschaft. "The Big Issue South Africa" schaffte es, seine Leser besonders einzubinden, indem er Verkäufer anderer Straßenzeitungen bat zu erklären, was das Wort "Geburtstag" für sie bedeutet. So zeigte das Magazin auch, wie groß die Straßenzeitungs-Bewegung eigentlich ist. Oder, wie sie es selbst in ihrer Geburtstags-Ausgabe ausdrückten: "Obwohl wir weit verstreut sind, sind wir doch wie eine Familie, die eng zusammenhält".

Der Beitrag von Anna Cinderella, die in Schweden die Straßenzeitung Faktum verkauft, finden Sie hier.

Die ganze Geschichte aus dem "Big Issue South Africa" lesen Sie hier.

16 April 2012

Special report from India published by 21 street papers worldwide

Liceulice, Serbia
BISS, Germany
Our special report from India was highly popular with street papers worldwide. More than 30 articles were republished in 21 different street papers in Germany, Serbia, Czech Republic, Poland, Ireland, Brazil, Japan, USA and Norway.

The articles and photo series from Bangalore and surroundings can still be downloaded via this page.

Unser Spezial-Report aus Indien erwies sich bei Straßenzeitungen aus der ganzen Welt als sehr populär. Mehr als 30 Artikel erschienen in 21 verschiedenen Straßenzeitungen in Deutschland, Serbien, der Tschechischen Republik, Polen, Irland, Brasilien, Japan, den USA und Norwegen. 
Gazeta Ulicna, Poland

Die Artikel und die Fotostrecke, die Bangalore und Umgebung zeigen, können immer noch auf dieser Seite heruntergeladen werden.
FREIeBÜRGER, Germany

9 April 2012

Homeward Street Journal feature Hinz&Kunzt article on international content page

The American street paper Homeward Street Journal dedicated a page to international content in their recent edition. They featured the story 'Commercial giants explore Bangladeshi workers' by colleague German street paper Hinz&Kunzt.
Homeward Street Journal, North America

The story - translated into English by one of INSP's volunteers - was also republished by Columbus-based street paper Street Speech. The German version was republished by Megaphon in Austria, as well as Hempels and Strassenkreuzer in Germany.

On the same page, Sacramento-based street paper Homeward Street Journal also republished the IPS article 'For Maya, the world isn't ending - the environment is'. This story proved popular by American street papers, as Street Speech, Denver Voice and Street Zine also republished it. You can see the Homeward Street Journal clipping here.

Die amerikanische Straßenzeitung "Homeward Street Journal" widmete in ihrer neuesten Ausgabe eine ganze Seite internationalen Inhalten. Sie brachte unter anderem den Artikel "Business-Giganten beuten Arbeiter aus Bangladesch aus", den die Kollegen der deutschen Straßenzeitung "Hinz&Kunzt" geschrieben hatten.

Der Artikel, der von einem unserer ehrenamtlichen Übersetzer ins Englische übersetzt worden war, wurde auch von der Straßenzeitung "Street Speech" aus Columbus gedruckt. Die deutsche Version erschien auch in "Megaphon" aus Österreich sowie "Hempels" und "Strassenkreuzer" aus Deutschland.

Auf derselben Seite brachte das "Homeward Street Journal" aus Sacramento auch den IPS-Artikel "Für Maya endet die Welt nicht - aber ihre Umgebung". Dieser Artikel erwies sich bei amerikanischen Straßenzeitungen als populär - auch "Street Speech", "Denver Voice" und "Street Zine" veröffentlichten ihn.

Den Ausschnitt aus dem "Homeward Street Journal" finden Sie hier.

4 April 2012

PRESS RELEASE: Street paper network reveals new logo and branding to ‘INSPire change’

Glasgow, 4th April 2012 – The charity INSP (International Network of Street Papers), which supports and develops the word’s ‘street papers’ (like the UK’s Big Issue magazine), has revealed a new logo and brand. The logo’s four bright colours represent the diversity of the street paper network, whilst the bracket design symbolises the power of the network to unite and support 122 different social enterprises in 40 countries.

Together with the new logo, a series of ‘INSPire’ slogans have been introduced, including ‘INSPirational people’ – referring to the homeless street paper vendors; and ‘INSPiring journalism’ for the network’s independent news service.

INSP Executive Director Lisa Maclean said of the rebrand: “We have been working hard alongside award-winning design and communications agency 999 to create this new look for our charity. 999 have generously offered this work free of charge, following their popular design of our annual campaign, which was published by more than 70 street papers last year.”

“While the core vision and mission of INSP remains the same, we believe that this new look will help us present a forward-looking and dynamic image to supporters, partners and the media. In turn, it will help us ensure that the worldwide street paper movement is best supported to assist homeless people everywhere.”

Richard Bissland, Director of Glasgow-based communications agency 999, who oversaw the rebrand pro bono, said: “999 became enthused by what INSP stood for and its ambitions for people worldwide when we were researching for their global campaign last year. INSP’s energy and real commitment to giving less fortunate people the opportunity to regain their dignity through street papers was, in our eyes, remarkable. Every day the organisation and its people offer others some hope. We thought, ‘this is terrific… how can we help?”

“INSP asked us to refresh their identity. The rebranding of INSP in itself isn’t overly elaborate, it is intended to give the brand a visually strong platform on which to build all their other INSPiring communications and stories and be more visible to their stakeholders and supporters in print, online, or any other environment.”

The new, modern branding compliments INSP’s latest innovative project – the digital street paper. In order to retain audiences and engage new readers in the future, street papers, like other print media, need to continue producing quality journalism as well as adapt to technology changes. A digital version of the print product will be piloted by INSP later this year and sold by street vendors via QR code cards. If successful, the digital model could support many street papers around the world. With a global street paper readership already in excess of six million, the concept has scope to become one of the world’s largest paid digital media platforms.

2 April 2012

Reuters' picture donations in Olympic feature

A powerful Reuters image of a British Olympic athlete was splashed out over two pages of UK street paper The Big Issue in the North.

With the London Olympics just months away, heptathlete Jessica Ennis was pictued on the front page of the story 'Flying the Flag'. A series of additional Reuters images were used to profile the other northern English competitors in the five-page spread.

The Big Issue in the North was able to use the series of images thanks to the ongoing support from Reuters, who donate 50 free images to street papers every month.

Ein kraftvolles Foto der Nachrichtenagentur Reuters, das eine britische Olympionikin zeigt, zierte zwei ganze Seiten in der UK-Straßenzeitung "The Big Issue in the North".

Nur wenige Monate vor der Olympiade in London war die Siebenkämpferin Jessica Ennis auf der ersten Seite der Reportage "Flying the Flag" abgebildet. Eine Reihe zusätzlicher Reuters-Bilder zeigte in dem fünfseitigen Artikel die anderen Wettkämpfer aus Nordengland. 

"The Big Issue in the North" konnte die Bilderreihe dank der fortwährenden Unterstützung von Reuters nutzen. Die Nachrichtenagentur spendet Straßenzeitungen jeden Monat 50 Bilder.

Voices of the Street


Megaphone (Canada) have released their second annual Voices of the Street literary issue. This special 68-page issue exclusively features stories and poems from Megaphone's community writing workshops (which are run in the Downtown Eastside and downtown Vancouver).

The project was made possible by our street paper partnering scheme. BISS (Munich) donated €10,000 to the partnering scheme, to be used by street papers for programs and projects which directly benefit vendors.

Donations were also sent to Put Domoi (Russia), OCAS (Brazil), The Big Issue Japan, Whats Up Magazine (USA) and Liceulice (Serbia).