In the media environment, the trend of sharing content through Creative Commons licenses is growing. This model allows newsrooms, editors, and independent journalists to freely republish quality texts, even in cases where they do not have their own experts on a given topic. The main motive of publishers is to increase the reach of their specialized news and disseminate information to a wider audience.
However, content republishing is governed by strict rules, which differ among individual titles. Most newsrooms require attribution of the original author and source, preservation of hyperlinks, and prohibition of commercial use or modification of the text. Some titles also require notification to the newsroom that the text has been published elsewhere, or the use of special tracking codes to monitor traffic.
Among the most significant sources of freely distributable content is the academic portal The Conversation. This platform mediates analyses by scientists and experts on topics ranging from climate change to politics.
“All articles can be freely republished under a Creative Commons Attribution No Derivatives license,”
states the editorial manual, adding that the goal is to promote fact-based public debate. Funding is provided by university contributions and reader donations.
Another key player is the independent non-profit newsroom The New Humanitarian, which focuses on humanitarian crises and global development. It offers articles marked with the “republish article” tag for free distribution. Similarly, the community Global Voices operates, gathering authors and activists focused on digital rights and overlooked topics from around the world. Their content can even be further modified and adapted under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license.
The list concludes with the British platform openDemocracy, which is dedicated to human rights and social justice. Most of its content is available for non-commercial use. Transparency and support for democracy are the main reasons why these organizations forgo direct monetization of their content and opt for open access.