Funding & Incentives

1. Our Funding Philosophy

At Open Angle Post, we believe that financial transparency and independence are essential for maintaining editorial integrity and reader trust. Our funding model is designed to align incentives with our mission: providing clear, thoughtful analysis that serves readers, not advertisers or investors.

We are committed to maintaining complete editorial independence regardless of our funding sources. No funder, advertiser, or sponsor will ever influence what we publish or how we cover topics.

2. Current Funding Status

This independence allows us to pursue our editorial mission without commercial or political pressures. However, maintaining this model requires sustainable funding sources, which we are actively developing.

3. Future Monetization Options

To ensure long-term sustainability while maintaining editorial independence, we are considering the following funding models. Any model we adopt must align with our values and maintain our editorial integrity:

3.1 Models We're Considering

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  Voluntary Membership/DonationsReaders who value our work can contribute voluntarily. This model aligns incentives with reader satisfaction and editorial quality.
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  Institutional SubscriptionsLibraries, universities, newsrooms, and organizations could subscribe for access. These would be bulk subscriptions with no editorial strings attached.
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  Grants and FoundationsWe may accept grants from foundations that support independent journalism, provided there are no editorial conditions attached.
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  Paid Deep-Dive BriefingsIn-depth analysis reports available for purchase, separate from our free content. These would be clearly marked as premium products.

3.2 Models We Will Not Use

We will not adopt funding models that create misaligned incentives or compromise our editorial independence:

• ✗Outrage-optimized advertising: We will not use ad networks that reward clickbait, outrage, or engagement metrics over quality
• ✗Engagement-based paywalls: We will not gate content behind metrics that encourage viral, low-quality content
• ✗Sponsored editorial content: We will not accept payment in exchange for coverage, favorable treatment, or "takes"
• ✗Political or advocacy funding: We will not accept funding from political parties, PACs, or organizations that require us to advance specific political agendas
• ✗Corporate sponsorships with editorial influence: We will not accept corporate funding that comes with any editorial strings attached

Our incentive structure must match our ethos: serving readers with quality analysis, not optimizing for engagement, clicks, or commercial interests.

4. Conflict of Interest Policy

We maintain strict policies to prevent conflicts of interest:

• •Editorial firewall: Editorial decisions are made independently of funding and business considerations
• •Disclosure requirements: We will disclose any significant funding sources and potential conflicts of interest when relevant to coverage
• •Funder relationships: We reserve the right to cover topics critically, even if it involves our funders or their interests
• •No quid pro quo: We will never accept funding or benefits in exchange for coverage, favorable treatment, or silence
• •Staff disclosures: Editorial staff must disclose any personal financial interests or relationships that could affect coverage

If a potential conflict of interest is identified, we will disclose it transparently and take steps to ensure it does not influence our coverage.

5. Donor and Funder Transparency

We commit to transparency about our funding sources:

• •All significant funding sources (above a threshold to be determined) will be disclosed on this page
• •We will update this page within 30 days of receiving new funding
• •For grants and foundation funding, we will disclose the source, amount (if publicly reportable), and any conditions attached
• •We respect donor privacy for small individual contributions but will disclose aggregate statistics
• •If we decline funding due to potential conflicts of interest, we may disclose this decision to maintain transparency

6. Financial Sustainability

We are committed to building a sustainable model that supports quality journalism:

• •We aim to create a model that supports fair compensation for our team and sustainable operations
• •We prioritize long-term sustainability over short-term revenue
• •We will maintain a reserve fund to ensure we can operate independently through lean periods
• •We will regularly evaluate our funding model and adjust as needed, always prioritizing editorial independence

If we face financial challenges, we will seek funding solutions that maintain our independence rather than compromising our editorial values.

7. What Happens If Funding Changes

We recognize that funding models may evolve. If we make significant changes to our funding structure:

• •We will announce changes publicly and update this page immediately
• •We will explain the rationale for the change and how it maintains editorial independence
• •We will disclose any new funding sources and their conditions
• •We will maintain our commitment to transparency and editorial independence regardless of funding changes

Our editorial independence is non-negotiable and will not be compromised by funding changes.

8. Transparency Commitment

We believe that financial transparency is essential for reader trust. This commitment means:

• •This page will be updated promptly whenever our funding status changes
• •We will be transparent about our financial challenges and how we're addressing them
• •We will answer reader questions about our funding model honestly and directly
• •We will publish annual reports on our funding sources and how funds are used (when applicable)

Financial transparency builds trust and allows readers to evaluate our independence for themselves.

9. Supporting Our Work

If you're interested in supporting Open Angle Post:

• •We welcome voluntary contributions from readers who value our work
• •Institutions interested in subscriptions can contact us for more information
• •Foundations interested in supporting independent journalism can reach out to discuss potential grants
• •All funding relationships will be subject to our conflict of interest policies

For funding inquiries, please contact us at contact@oapost.com.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions about our funding model or wish to support our work, please contact us: