Happs is a platform for live news around the world, open to anyone’s participation. Happs provides the platform, professional journalists, and producers to support our contributors in executing live streams to be distributed on social media. Our purpose is to empower millions of people around the world to get their stories told. Most of our community contribute their time and energy on a voluntary basis, for their own motivations (often the same as ours: to make the world a better place).
We are currently a startup in our Beta phase, and have limited financial resources. Happs will consider paying contributors under certain circumstances. This is solely at Happs’ discretion. Below are some of the criteria that influence whom we pay, and when.
At Happs, we consider paying journalists who meet at least one of the following criteria:
1. Have general press credentials or press credentials for the specific event we are trying to cover. To read more about press credentials, please visit this site: https://nppa.org/page/press-credentials
2. OR have a Storyhunter account and at least one review from an established news organization (www.storyhunter.com)
3. OR have multiple bylines or credits from established news organizations
We do not pay (but always welcome to stream with us):
1. People we interview as experts on a subject
2. People we interview whom we are asking to share their opinion, particularly advocates for a certain cause
3. Non-journalist citizens
4. Journalists who do not yet meet any of the criteria listed above for people we consider paying
We welcome all people to stream with us, but those whom we pay will be expected to rise to a professional level of execution.
Anyone who streams with Happs will be provided multiple forms of technical and editorial support, including active collaboration with Happs’ professional directors, producers, and anchor/hosts. In addition, Happs will credit and publicize you and your work.
If you are a journalist with whom we are working, we ask that you bring your utmost professionalism to the job. We ask that you arrive on time and fully prepared for the job. This means showing up before the event starts and accounting for any potential delays due to traffic, crowds, inclement weather, etc. It also means having the proper equipment as outlined by your producer. This typically includes headphones with a mic, a fully charged phone, and an external battery. Failure to meet these expectations gives Happs the right to cancel the stream as well as the payment.