What is Civil you might ask?

At its core, Civil is designed as a decentralized platform for news (across mobile-first web and app) that is also built on the blockchain with a structure to better engage with an active community and ensure security across the network.

What is the blockchain?

Like many others across tech, media, and financial industries, I’ve thought about the blockchain and the revolutionary potential of cryptocurrency, but Matthew Iles, CEO of Civil, inspired me with how Ethereum can also be a backbone for developing new types of apps in addition to anything around cryptocurrencies. It’s essentially an ultra-secure way to re-think how goods, services and intellectual property can be distributed and exchanged.

And what does all that mean to media?

Civil is striving to spur journalism at the grassroots level and make it possible for people to put their investment where their interests lie across areas like investigative reporting, local news and policy coverage while creating an opportunity for reporters to gain traction with new audiences. Civil’s approach believes that new technology coupled with the power of the people might be an answer. (To learn more details about how Civil’s platform will function you can review Civil’s white paper outlining the technical and structural components or Iles’ initial Medium post here.)

Bottom line

Civil believes that citizens can make a difference to the health of the news eco-system while working alongside professional journalists in a reporting and community-organizing capacity – all within the security of the blockchain and an open marketplace to spur critical content of important issues. This intersection of startups, news and the crypto-blockchain feels truly innovative and full of exciting possibilities.

It’s still early but Civil is forging ahead (details about the initial $5M in funding from ConsenSys here) and I’m thrilled to join the entire team of talented individuals. More details to come soon on how it’s all coming together.

Reflecting on my personal journey

(For those curious about how I arrived here and more about my background please read on.)

Throughout my career I’ve had the opportunity to hold a front-row seat to the evolution of news and technology. I graduated from the University of British Columbia’s journalism school in 2000 with a focus in technology and a thesis that examined the internet’s role in democracy in Indonesia and Malaysia. I went on to work as a technology correspondent at the likes of CNN, CBS News, ABC News; a reporter at the Vancouver Sun and Details; and an analyst at MSNBC and BBC News.

In 2011 I joined Google at a time when publisher-tech company relations were more tense than ever. I founded the first (scrappy) team to support the needs of publishers/broadcasters from an editorial standpoint — Google for Media — and I helped train thousands of journalists on Google’s tools for newsgathering in more than 25 countries. We also brokered a number of partnerships that I believe helped accelerate a collaborative spirit with the industry.

In the summer of 2014 I had the opportunity to join forces with Olivia Ma and Steve Grove to co-found the News Lab at Google, which today is well-positioned to continue its mission of collaborating with journalists and entrepreneurs to build the future of media. The News Lab now has full-time leads in LatAm and APAC and others in places across EMEA.

In fact, the News Lab team has grown exponentially since we started with clear focus areas — trust and verification, data, immersive storytelling and inclusive storytelling — that I believe position it well going forward. I feel privileged to have worked alongside such a fantastic team and count myself incredibly lucky to have learned so much from both my time at Google but also my brilliant peers; Google is truly an extraordinary place filled with extraordinary people. Of course many challenges remain more broadly at Google and other tech companies across news products, relationships and education but I’m heartened by the progress.