The Associated Press Collaborate with Journalism Startup Civil on Blockchain-Based Content Licensing

The Civil Media Company and The Associated Press (AP) have announced a collaboration that will make AP news content available for use by Civil-based newsrooms.

AP, like many other media organizations, is interested in how blockchain technology can be applied to journalism models. As part of the collaboration, AP will deliver its content, including national and international news, to Civil so that newsrooms can easily access it on the platform. Any newsroom wishing to access AP content will be licensed directly by the news agency.

AP, which will own CVL tokens as part of this collaboration, will explore additional uses around tracking content usage and consumption trends, securing intellectual property rights and supporting ethical journalism across the Civil economy.

“AP has been pushing into new digital territory for more than two decades, and Civil is opening up another new space with interesting technology to explore and a commitment to good journalism,” said Jim Kennedy, AP’s senior vice president for Strategy and Enterprise Development. “We’re eager to help cultivate the space and demonstrate our value to a new set of digital publishers.”

As it relates to new journalism models, Civil’s technology enables:

• Proven authorship and ownership — Who took this photograph and who owns the rights to it?
• Smart contract licensing terms — Automatically enforceable entitlements and term length along with improved usage tracking across the web.
• Incentives for ethical behavior — Civil’s Constitution, or code of conduct, is designed to reward quality content and discourse in the community as it grows.

Civil is keen on partnering with organizations large and small that are committed to promoting ethical journalism standards. The startup wants to build a new economy for journalism, where ensuring quality is the primary incentive for all participants.

AP will be among the initial participants in this network, along with organizations like the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), the European Journalism Centre, the Reynolds Journalism Institute at the Missouri School of Journalism, University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and the News Co/Lab at Arizona State University.