Obediah Chisiri Sports

I am trying to solve the problem of few job opportunities for freelance journalists in hard copy editions.

My digital platform will be ocsport.com on a wordpress and designed like supersport.com

Freelance sports journalists community  unlike other freelance journalists who contribute politics news for example are being left out to improve social inclusion and shared prosperity in hard copy news due to editorial policies as editors may want the story to suit with some political stories in the publication.My solution is that by having a website the editors may pick a story appropriate to them on that day as the articles would have been published.The website therefore helps freelance journalists to have their articles noticed by prospective employers.The website through extensive reporting gives readers a vivid description of what could have transpired at sports events.

The specif problem within the challenge is that freelance sports journalists  community is  not being involved in creating or advancing equitable  and inclusive economic growth across geographies and demographics within the unprecedented rise of technology use among citizens.

Many sports fans citizens  are looking upon the internet to read sports news and in many countries some website just republish article from their hard copy editions which is not interesting to many sports fans on the internet.

Also apart from the unavailability of interesting sports news on digital platforms, statistics show that freelance journalists  articles are not being included by editors in sports pages.

Editors would rather give a staffer the story written by a freelance journalist rather crediting the latter for the story in a publication.

It would be unethical to copy a story from a website so the websites restricts freelance journalists from being manipulated.

The solution  can be scaled up globally as in this digital- first era articles first appear online and their in print editions minus the interactive bits, for example Skysports website publishes first before a reprint in hardcopy editions.

I am serving internet users who like sports news and also marketing freelance journalists' articles.

Techy savvy sports fans need sports news that are different from that in print editons which are edited to suit the editorial policy of a media organisation.Whether private or state owned print editons tend to incline their stories according to their editorial policies which is not favourable to participants in face book sports groups,WhatsApp groups and  Instagram.

Morever freelance journalists can have exposure as editors may start to know about their work through the website.

The articles are shared in face book groups for sports fans through a face book page.The face book page is connected externally from the website.

The sports fans then comment on the articles and their views will be include in decision making at sports clubs as sports administrators may also be informed or would be present in the groups.

Freelance journalists can gain a new ground by writing aricles for the ensure because editor nowdays  employ people with a work experience so that they do not waste time in the news room trying to train someone on how to write an article even if one has a degree as experience counts most.

My solution is about writing online news such that sports fans get a vivid picture of what transpired without too much editorial policies.

I write  sports news with online writing skill that captivates my target audience instead of being a vehicle for media organisation interest.

When reporters  cover big events, print editons leave some details as they see them unworthy in their publications but will be of importance significance to readers.

Due to the fact that the upper class is most favoured in the print editons, some facts that include the middle class and the low class may be ommited.

In our website, we cover sports events extensively such that all communities are included and we do not exclude readers because of geographical and demographical boundaries.

As I provide online sports articles to my fans on the internet, they get news that is well detailed from that would have appeared in print editons.

After an even we publish may be after the hard copy editions have published their stories so that we do not appear as breaking news.In that way our target audience will choose which story really captivates them.

If  we publish early than our counter parts it would seem like our story was for introducing the story in the print editions.

Some of the stories  on the website maybe stories that the print editons may have missed as we engage freelance journalists to contribute articles for the sports website.

The articles are published on the website using an Android, iOS,web or laptop  whilst online and the target audience view the article online using Android, iOS,web or laptop.

Both the publisher and views have to have wi-fi or internet data bundles to be online.

Apart from online articles the website have videos.Also live streaming us essential whereby viewers can watch matches direct from the venue's through live stream.

High definition broadcasting video camera we used and they should be compatible with High definition camera that can compress and edit videos for social media platforms.

My solution is innovative in the sense that the sports digital platform publishes articles that also appear in print editons.The articles differ from those in the print editions due to the fact that we cover the events extensively more than the print editons which is innovative.

The digital platform is a new approach for freelance journalists to have their articles have exposure in the media industry.Lack of exposure can cause a freelance reporter to be frustrated and quit the job of writing articles.

Digitalisation has became the in-thing and with many sports groups on face book , it is imperative to have a sports digital platform that shares news written with interesting writing skills to capture the audience in the facebook groups.

Discussions are the order of the day in the facebook groups and the authoritarian approach in disseminating news used by many print editions does not suit facebook participants.The participants do not want to be part of the print editions who relate their stories according to their media houses policies.

My solution becomes innovative as I writes in a unique way such that the articles are conducive for everyone from different communities can participate.

My facebook page makes the solution to be much more effective as some viewers may not have internet data bundles to visit the website but have facebook data bundles to view the post on Facebook which is innovative.

My solution is based on technology as the sports news is published on a digital platform.To publish the in the digital platform a computer, laptop, iOS,or and Android is used and the publisher will be online.

Digital cameras are used to take photos and they should be appealing to a digital platform .

The viewers to view the website should be online on the internet using computes,laptops, iOS or Android.

Broadcast quality high-definition camera equipment wig a range of accessories needed for professional images including tripod, lighting,sound equipment and micro phones are used.The video cameras will also have portable broadcasting quality equipment compatible with high-defintion camera capablen of editng and exporting high -defintion files identical to original and of compressing into other formats suitable for social media platforms.

I expect my sports digital platform to address the problem of livelihoods for freelance journalists inline with sustainable development goals and disseminate online news which is on demand but have few players able to.

On the creating livelihoods for journalists, a freelance  photographer who took pictures on a sporting event, I was covering was later employed full time by a state -owned community newspaper.My solution is an avenue for freelance journalists to be exposed.

Sports fans have lost faith in state and private owned these institutions as they have editorial policies or their political stories may chase away sports fans.

The website only disseminates sports news making it conducive to all sports fans regardless of their political affiliations.

Freelance journalists are lacking platforms to get exposure as the print editions are becoming strict due to the costs of production.Thereby editors need someone who is consistent not an opportunist.Thereby my website makes the Editors to be acquainted by one's articles as one  would be contributing to my website regularly.

Also freelance journalists would have a media house to be accredited for covering sports events.Also the need of sports news online would have been achieved as many media houses are shunning having digital platforms for sports news due to few viewers.

Our technique of writing the sports news with a foreign talent drives the website to have many viewers unlike other websites that copy articles from hard copy editions whose writing skills are different from those used online.

At the moment I have 1336 followers on my face book page for the digital platform.The followers increase every time I publish a story on the website as some may not have been online when I share the face book page on social media platforms.

My face book page receives articles automatically when I publish on the website and those who would have liked the page also get the articles on social media instantly if they would be online.These are the people whom I can say are affected by my solution directly and meaningfully.

In a year, I am aiming to reach 9 000 likes on my page as I will boost the face book page to get more likes. At the moment those who would have read my articles on the face book page are the ones who have liked the page.

With time, I will boost the face book page on social media so that I get more likes.There is a possibility of having  unlike   as followers who have liked the page already do not are  unlike it.

The number is not large but I would be guaranteed of have the same number viewing the website in a daily basis. 

In the next five years, am expecting my followers who are the people I would be saving to reach to about 90 000.The number of people being saved will grew as well as the journalists contributing on the website.

In the next year, I aim to broaden my market base as well as employing more freelance journalists.

The number of viewers on my digital platform should increase and viewers should check everyday for sports stories on the website.After every sporting event, sports fans should look up to  our website to have published the stories for future reference to those who would have attended and inform to those who were absent.

My goals in the next year is to be able to have video live shows with sports personalities .Such types of shows can be done weekly and we will upload video interviews before and after sports activities for our viewers to see.

With time, in the next five years, I hope to have acquired live streams licences from the government regulatory boards and also from administrations of other private sports organisations.

In Zimbabwe only , there is lack of live streaming of national teams in regional and international competitions like Africa Cup of Nations football tournament , Netball World Cup or Cricket World Cup to mention but a few.

I expect to be accreditation by the regional and international boards for sports tournaments in the next five years.

I also expect to have correspondents in different countries around the globe such that major sports activities around the world would be published on my website.

My website would be operating on a business premium plan and now it is on free plan.

Financial constraints are  hampering  the coverage of many tournaments due to transport costs. Commuting from  one area to another needs one to have money as most of the organizers of sports tournaments do not offer transports to the media.

This barrier end up the website having stories that would have transpired within the city center. Unavailability of digital video cameras also hamper the website from having  high traffic as videos are on demand online.

These financial constraints are for the next year only .In the next five years, Zimbabwean government's prioritization of state owned media to cover government functions limits our coverage on some important sporting events.All citizens should have equal participation in creating wealth but this has not been well received in many African countries.

In the next five years , the barrier of not being able to be recognized by government institutes on sports consultations can still exist as private media does not get tenders form government institutions in the media fraternity.

The documents from the regulatory and procurement departments are costly to a start up like me .

Lack of recognition of the power of technology can hamper the business to be profitable.Many people in business do not see the importance of  online when we seek advertisement for their products on our website. Online advertising has not yet made a break through in many African countries.

I am planning to overcome these barriers by having mentorships on how to become a successful entrepreneur through innovation in technology in Zimbabwe, regional and international workshops online or in presence at the workshops.

In Zimbabwe there is an innovation drive funding which is sponsored by the Ministry  of Information , Communication and Technology and the winners are given funds which they pay back at low interest rate.

There are also entrepreneur wards in Africa that offer funds to winners and have a buy out clause on the investors for the entrepreneur to wholly own the business idea.  

Massachusetts Institute of Technology also offers a wide range of opportunities for innovative entrepreneurs in technology  which can the barriers  be broken. 

I have to source the technologies to be used through money from  funding or winning awards for the digital platform to be profitable.

When I have won the awards, I may be able to hire correspondents and give them transport money to go and cover sports activities around the country.

Also we may be able to get registered with Zimbabwe's  procurement board so that we can have tenders on sports consultation with state owned institutes thereby creating a wider market base.

Whilst in many countries they may want physical accreditation instead of online accreditation, money from awards will help on travel expenses as we also cover South African soccer leagues and have to go there to be accreditation by respective soccer clubs.Cultural barriers would have been broken.

I am the only one working full time on my solution team. The other three team members contribute part time on the digital platform.

I take articles from the  freelance contributors and edited them before publishing. I am the founder of the website as well as the online writer.

The solution can have more than 9 people working full time in Zimbabwe and  20 can be working part time locally. Regionally we can have 7 contributors whilst internationally we can have 9 contributors who will be working part time.

Me and my team are best -paced to deliver this solution because myself have vast years of  experience working in the newsroom.

I worked at the state -owned The Herald, in 2006 . I then worked as an online writer for a sports digital platform also at Zimpapers. Zimpapers also owns The Herald.Whilst at Zimpapers' sports digital platform I entered the Information Communication Technology(ICT) Achievers Awards under STEM.

I opened my e-mail by the end of the day when they anticipated the reply before the end of the day after they had notified me in the morning. The reply was just to notify them if I was interested in the awards. I had already completed the awards questions.This shows me I am best- place for the solution as I competed with other achievers form other news beats like ICT journalists and technology journalists to mention but a few.

Now at my sports digital platform, I entered the African Entrepreneur Awards by BMCE Bank of Africa. I was knocked out in the 3rd round. I was knocked out because my financial plan provided less to the investors compared to the salaries for the workers. After the 3rd round if I had proceeded ,was to enter a boot camp in Morocco before the final awards there. 

My team is of freelance journalist who write news for different publications for money and they have vast years of experience in the profession.All of us  are accredited by the Zimbabwe Media Commission.

At the moment I have partnered with Coca-Cola.I report on the under 15 Copa Coca-Cola tournament for boys and girls sponsored by Coca-Cola.

The games start at the zonal level, then the district competitions and the provincial finals before  the national finals .The Coca-Cola company then flight adverts on my website for the venue of the regional finals in Africa.This is so because I would be reporting about their tournament in Africa.As I seek for revenue through adverts, the partnership is that the sponsors give me adverts not because of the large number of viewers on my website but because I would be promoting their brand Coca-Cola on my website.

The links on my website for the articles would have been searched through Coca-Cola name.

I have also partnered with Word Ads so that I double my revenue on the website.They also place adverts on my website the way Google places adverts  on all websites that could have reached a certain number of viewers.Word Ads  place adverts on WordPress websites only. 

My business model is about disseminating sports news through a digital platform.Expenses are accumulated through paying rent for the organisation's offices,internet charges,telephone bills,advertising costs, transport costs, legal costs to mention but a few of the costs of running the business.

Sponsors of the sports tournaments usually have media consultancy teams that do the accreditation  of journalists covering their events.

I publish sports news on a website that assigned journalists would have covered thereby sports fans benefit from the intervention as they would be able to get well- detailed sports news online.

The intervention is about providing sports news which is a product to online viewers or print editions Editors for republication.

I am creating social impact as the number of people liking my face book page is increasing.Also viewers or visitors  on my website are increasing showing that my articles are being favored more than other websites on the social media platforms. 

My revenue comes from the articles bought by print editions Editors for republication, adverts from Google and Word Ads and also direct advertising to us by some companies on their products.

From this initiative,Editors at print editions will have news from a participatory point of view whilst sports fans online are privileged to have extensively written sports articles.I reach my users through the web and social media platforms like face book,LinkedIn,Instagram and Twitter.

I will invest my profits in expanding the activities on the website.My revenue source is 25% Google,25% Word Ads,30%  direct advertising, and 20% for republished articles in other media outlets. 

My business is for-profit and I will get money by selling my products which are the articles that are published on the sports digital platform.

The revenue model is like the fee- for service in the sense that I commercialize my social service of providing entertainment through sports articles as I sell direct to sports fans online.Clicks on the website by the viewers generate revenue direct to me.For one to able to view or visit the website, he/she has to be online, thus he/she uses internet data bundles or WiFi .

Google and Word Ads then pay for the traffic on the website. Online adverts are not placed due to the traffic on the website only.Genre plays a pivotal role for a website to get adverts.For example, if I write articles on the soccer World Cup qualifiers, sponsors for the tournament can advertise on my website abut the venue of the World Cup tournament.

Also my revenue can come from articles bought by other media outlets who could have missed important stories my website and want their readers to know what transpired.Some of the revenue come from monetization of the website as some organisations can approach me direct to have their services or goods advertised on the website.

The revenue can cover the expenses incurred with profits left for expanding the business or even engaging in social responsibility programmes. Social responsibility can be  of donating books for prizes to underprivileged students.

By applying to Solve, I can overcome the barrier of being financially unequipped.My solution at this early  stage incurres expenses without profits being realised.

The prize funding helps for me to buy the technologies needed to accelerate the solution.

Expenses like rent,transport costs,salaries and many which need to be addressed before the business becomes profitable can be met through the prize funding.

Grants and funds for early starters are scarce as some of the grants and funds come with certain terms and conditions.

Some grants and funds literally means they would have invested in your solution and your have to give them a percentage of your profits.

Apart from funding, mentorship is pivotal at the early stage my solution is.

The 12 months programme for mentorship and strategic advice from Solve and MIT Networks are essential for my solution not to fail at this early stage.

We are living in a digital divide era whereby those with knowledge excel more than the wealthy through money or assets.

Mentorship help one to recognise the problems he/she can encounter whilst carrying out the solution.

It is imperative for one to know the merits and demerits if the solution before hand as this helps to be at a safe side.

Mentorship enlightens the enterprenuer to become obstacles instead of wasting time and resources.

Solve and MIT Networks helps also other institutes the recognise the value of the solution. This paves way for partnership.

I would like to partner with Coca-Cola,Federation of International Football Association(FIFA),Stanbic, National University of Science and Technology(NUST) in Zimbabwe, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT),International Cricket Council (ICC), World Rugby Union and Cable News Network(CNN).

I want partnership with Coca-Cola so that I can get accreditation to cover their Copa Coca-Cola under 15 tournament in Zimbabwe, regionally and internationally.

At the moment I just cover the games without accreditation  as I do it out of interest.However it or risk as the security personnel  can prohibit one to interview the coaches and  players soon after the game on the pitch.

FIFA also accelarate my solution globally as I would be able to cover World Cup tournaments that has a huge following worldwide.

Stanbic sponsors many international tournaments and would like to be registered for their sporting calender.

Nust and MIT can give me opportunities for public speaking on media and technology.Also they can help me with furthering my education.

ICC and World Rugby Union are good partners in the sense that I  can get diaries in cricket and rugby activities in the countries I would be operating.

I also need partnership with CNN so that my website can be registered as a contributor  for sport articles in Zimbabwe and Africa.

Me and my team will utilize the GM Prize on Community - Driven Innovation by accelerating my solution through using the money on the solution.

We will use the prize to have the digital platform be designed and change the website plan from being on the free plan to a business or premium plan.

So far the title word press is visible to on our links of the published article.This is not appealing to the viewers and visitors on the website.

As the solution is still on the early stage, expenses are being incurred without any profits being realised .

With the prize we will buy technologies to be used in the solution.

We will buy digital voice recorders,digital cameras for still pictures ,digital video cameras and equipments used in live streams.

On the expenses, we will use the prize money on rent,transport costs,office furniture,office supplies,salaries, legal fees,licensing fees,insurance charges,training fees for staff,advertising expenses,marketing expenses to mention but a few expenses to be incurred as in the day to day running of the business.

The prize will help us to expand our solution locally,regionally and internationally.We would be able to disseminate sports news in many countries and also being able to hire correspondents in the different countries we would be operating.

The prize money will also be used to cover sports news even in remote areas.

Online writing  skill suits women very much and there is a great possibility that women journalists will have a platform to show case their skill.

Not only women journalists will benefit but even women viewers also will be happy about the solution.

By having extensive sports news on a digital platform this is what women usually love.Whilst men tend to like news in precise ,women advocate for a much detailed story.

Hence women can occupy themselves on many housewife which  men can not tolerate.Women can wash iron ,cook, bath children showing her versatility in grasping for many things men cannot do.

Women are very much attracted to online news than men who prefer print editons with short articles.

Women are attentive listeners hence podcasts on the digital platform will make women happy.

I will use the prize money to employ more women journalists on our solution At the moment our managing editor is Ellina Mhlanga a sports reporter at Zimpapers.

The prize money will be used to have a many podcasts on the digital platform as we can as this suits women.

We will also assign journalist to cover women in sport with the rise money.

We will use the prize money to live stream games involving women as they lack exposure compared to their male counterparts.

Me and my team will utilize the Morgridge Family Foundation Community -Driven Innovation as the community of sports fans using internet cannot donate to our cause.

We will use the prize money to buy technologies to be used in the solution.

We will buy laptops for writing ,editing and publishing of the sports articles,digital voice recorders,digital cameras for still pictures,digital video cameras and broadcasting equipments for live streams.

The prize money will be used to cater for expenses at this early stage as the solution is not being profitable .

The prize will cover expenses like rent,transport costs,legal fees,licensing fees,insurance charges, salaries,marketing costs,advertising costs and some expenses involved in the day to day running of the solution.

High definition broadcasting equipment will be bought by the prize.These high definition broadcasting equipments will be able to edit an compact videos suitbale for social media platforms.

Me and my team will utilize the prize by advancing the solution to a higher level.

Gun safety is important and sport brings peace in homesteads so sports news should be necessitated to  many people.

Many people own guns and their children know where the guns are kept and have access to them in the absence of their parents.

Parents should leave the culture of thinking guns bring peace of mind and have access to sports news.

As many homes have laptops and Wi-Fi, the culture of depending on guns should ends.

In the news one can hear of  a teenager who shot herself playing with his dad's gun with friends.This shows the family is not exposed to sports as the child could be watching videos if sport with friends.

We will use the prize money to have videos  sport activities online so that parents and children will have something to be occupied with at home .

A parent would be happy to follow a child's school performance through live stream videos if the school in play.

Videos of many teams countrywide shows that no one is being favoured as this reduces the use of arms as some may think those in a certain city are more superior than others .

The prize will be used to buy high definition video cameras to disseminate sports news from the urban and remote areas.The video cameras will be many as two to three games can be live streamed in a country.