Ebyline co-founders discuss helping news industry reach financial goals

By Jessica Zech Student Writer Ebyline co-founders Allen Narcisse and Bill Momary explained their business model to students and faculty at USC Annenberg’s Journalism Director’s Forum on Sept. 6. The platform connects independent journalists with editors and publications online to streamline the “broken operation with freelance management.” Ebyline manages assignments and pitches, oversees content submission and organizes freelancers’ invoices and taxes. [caption id="attachment_267" align="alignright" width="200" caption="Bill Momary speaks about journalism and media at the Sept. 6 Journalism Director's Forum. Photo by student Jessica Zech."] [/caption] Ebyline reviews journalists before they have access to the system to keep the focus on quality content, which Momary suggests is growing in demand. “(That's what happens) when you somewhat restrict entry to those who have taken the time to study the craft and somebody who has a professional body of work,” said Ebyline CEO Momary. “We now created this very high level set of content producers that really is hard to duplicate.” Publications, which might have suffered staff losses, can still maintain their content integrity with access to journalists covering a variety of beats. Next week's Journalism Director’s Forum features journalism professor Judy Muller and editor of The Canadian Record Laurie Ezzell Brown.