Zuventurez Winners Launch Scriberr: News You Can Trust
In a world of click-bait articles and single-sided stories, Azusa Pacific University graduates Jamie Roebuck-Joseph ’18 and Michael Ayetiwa ’19, along with Kalen D’Almeida, aspire to make a difference by providing accessible and unbiased news content for the millennial generation. Together, they founded Scriberr News, a non-partisan multimedia platform, which recently won Zuventurez, APU’s annual startup pitch competition.
During their time studying journalism at APU, Roebuck-Joseph and Ayetiwa noticed the increasing infiltration of personal beliefs, opinions, and half-truths in local and national news articles. With their professors’ encouragement to think outside of the box, they came together last December to found Scriberr. By providing accurate and impartial coverage on a variety of topics, including controversial and political issues, Scriberr gives readers the opportunity to make up their own minds and gain a better understanding of today’s news.
“We want Scriberr to empower individuals to think for themselves,” said Roebuck-Joseph. “I hope everyone who visits our site will find informative, trustworthy content.”
Scriberr News has grown to a team of 12 people with more than 30 outside contributors, publishing articles on its website and social media. From their commitment to provide truthful and non-partisan content, Scriberr journalists gather research from reliable legal documents, eyewitness footage, and field research. In addition, a fact-check and research system ensures accuracy, and a verified symbol is displayed next to completed and reviewed articles.
Why does Scriberr go to such lengths to communicate and adhere to reliable practices? They listen to the voices of readers. According to a study done by The Media Insight Project, a program of the American Press Institute and the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 42 percent of the general public thinks news “veers too far into commentary” and 35 percent hold “a negative view of news organizations.” To increase trust, the majority of the general public wants the media to provide more information about sources. In addition, nearly half of the public expressed journalists should reveal their reporting process and explain their policies more effectively—all issues Scriberr News addresses as they provide non-partisan news to a new generation.
Through Zuventurez, the Scriberr News founders attended workshops, received guidance from an experienced mentor, and participated in a pitch competition in front of a live and online audience of 2,500. Their idea captured the interest of the judges, and the team won the competition, securing $7,500 to invest in their company.
“Zuventurez comes alongside students and alumni, like the Scriberr founders, who have business ideas to launch or startups they’re looking to grow,” said Jay Sherer, director of innovation and entrepreneurship at APU. “The goal is to help them take something they’re passionate about—the problem they want to solve—and turn that into a sustainable, kingdom-focused organization.”
Zuventurez did just that through their partnership with Scriberr News, as the founders expand their business with renewed confidence and continued support from APU.
To experience thought-provoking news and journey alongside Scriberr as their business takes flight, visit their news and journey website.
Posted: May 31, 2019