Overland Journal and CoPower collaborate to support a radical discourse on climate and energy

As a democratic co-operative committed to building socially owned renewable energy and a just transition to the commons, CoPower is proud to announce our partnership with Overland Literary Journal. This partnership is aimed at supporting Overland’s commitment to fostering radical discourse on a range of issues related to climate change, environment and renewable energy.

Summary of the partnership

Overland literary journal is a respected publication that has been a bastion of radical culture, critique and movement-building since 1954. Through this partnership, CoPower will sponsor the publication of articles on environmental issues and renewable energy, which will be published in each of the quarterly print journals (#250, #251, #252 and #253) and also online from April to December 2023.

In addition to the articles, CoPower will also sponsor a special digital edition on environmental issues, climate change and sustainable energy, curated by a guest editor. The digital edition will provide a platform for a range of voices and perspectives on these important issues, including those of First Nations people. CoPower is committed to promoting these articles and the digital edition to our membership base, and Overland will promote the articles and digital edition through the Overland subscriber newsletter, with links to the articles and digital edition. We will also fund an online advertisement on the Overland homepage that will appear for one week with each sponsored article and will be included in six newsletters throughout 2023. At the end of 2023, Overland will also bring together the articles affiliated with us in a digital collection. 

This sponsorship provides an excellent opportunity for us to deepen our engagement with climate issues and contribute to critical writing and dialogue around them. The total value of this partnership amounts to $5,000.00 excluding GST from our marketing budget for the 22/23 financial year. 

Promoting freelancer rights through our marketing budget 

As part of this arrangement, CoPower will be funding Overland to pay freelance writers properly under the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA)’s Freelance Charter. As a publication that relies heavily on the work of freelance writers and contributors, Overland is committed to upholding the rights and working conditions of writers and artists. Through becoming the first media organisation to sign onto MEAA’s Freelance Charter, a set of principles and guidelines designed to ensure fair and equitable treatment of freelance writers and other contributors, Overland is helping to set dignified minimum standards for workers in this industry. 

Overall, Overland signing onto the Freelance Charter with MEAA is an important part of its commitment to supporting the rights and working conditions of freelance writers and other contributors. 

How this fits with our marketing strategy

The sponsorship arrangement with Overland is consistent with our marketing strategy in several ways.

Firstly, as a co-operative committed to winning social and democratic ownership of a renewable energy system, CoPower’s marketing strategy is focused on engaging with audiences who share these values. By partnering with Overland, CoPower is able to connect with a like-minded audience and contribute to furthering critical conversation around these important issues.

Secondly, CoPower’s marketing strategy is built on the idea of providing value to our members. By sponsoring the publication of articles on environmental issues and sustainable energy, as well as a special digital edition, CoPower is providing valuable content to readers interested in these issues. This aligns with our broader mission. 

Thirdly, CoPower’s marketing strategy emphasises the importance of partnerships and collaborations with progressive independent media organisations. Through its partnership with Overland, CoPower is able to play a generative role in fostering the health of Australia’s independent media ecology.