Hello readers – Bis-Serjetà founder and editor-in-chief Karl Stennienibarra here.
Bis-Serjetà has now been back on the scene for almost three years, following a lengthy hiatus. And while being Malta’s most serious journalist is fun and rewarding, it’s also challenging and time consuming. Between mafia lawyers threatening to take BS to court, Facebook being a dick, and environment ministers picking fights on Twitter… actually, come to think of it, out of those three, it’s only Facebook that really stresses me out.
If you’re reading this, you’re probably a fan of what I do, so here are seven ways you can help me out and make sure I can carry on bringing you your daily dose of serious news for the foreseeable future.
Support me with money
I know it isn’t normal in Malta for a website to ask you for money. But most websites in Malta are owned by big media organisations, political parties, or rich sugar daddies. Bis-Serjetà is one man with a laptop and a possibly pirated version of Photoshop.
This, coupled with the fact that advertisers who are willing to collaborate with us are few and far between (but if you are one, get in touch), means that earning money is a constant struggle.
That’s where you come in. You can support me by joining my page on Patreon – a funding site for artists, creators and serious journalists that lets you give a monthly amount of money to your favourite creative projects (nudge nudge).
Why Patreon? Because it’s good for me, and it’s good for you.
It’s good for me because – unlike getting paid sporadically with €10 here and there – getting paid monthly gives me stability and allows me to plan ahead. And the less time I have to spend chasing after advertisers (practically a job unto itself, the more time I can spend making content – which is what I want to do, and what you want me to do. I would also like to invest in more video equipment.
It’s good for you because, in return for your support, you get rewards. For example, if you give me €5 a month, you get occasional exclusive articles that I only post to Patreon, early access to videos, a lifetime discount on Bis-Serjetà merch, and discounts from cool local businesses like Popp, Avotaco and Te Fit-Tazza.
If you want to give just €3 a month, that’s perfectly fine too. Every little helps, and I think what I do is worth at least that much, if you enjoy it.
It takes less time to sign up than it did to read up until here, and if you sign up for a year in advance, you save 16%. So…go on and sign up.
Buy Bis-Serjetà merch
Any news organisation worth its salt has its own t-shirts, mugs, and keychains, and Bis-Serjetà is no exception.
Research by Professor Imona Jetski from the American University of Malta has shown that our t-shirts double the attractiveness and popularity of the people who wear them, while our mugs have been proven to improve the taste of the beverage they contain by up to 24.3 percent. Buying our merch makes scientific sense.
Buy our merch from our online store.
Follow BS somewhere aside from Facebook
Anyone who publishes content on Facebook must contend with The Algorithm – a capricious god who decides whether or not you see your favourite page’s posts. If you’ve ever gone a while without our serious journalism popping up on your newsfeed, it’s probably because we displeased the algorithm in some way. But much like the Judeo-Christian God, he doesn’t communicate much, so it’s hard to know for sure.
We’ve tried many things to appease The Algorithm – prayer, human sacrifice, imqaret – but nothing seems to work consistently. And let’s face it, we could all do with less Facebook in our lives. So if you want to see every article we write, you should sign up for notifications. These are your options:
- Join our Whatsapp broadcast channel to receive articles straight to Whatsapp (don’t worry – this isn’t like a regular Whatsapp group – it’s more of a mailing list, so you won’t be bombarded with other people’s messages). To subscribe, click this link.
- Subscribe to push notifications – This is similar, except you’ll just get a notification. To sign up, click the bell in the bottom-left corner of the site.
You could do both, but one is probably enough.
Read my articles
While many people read my articles, we get the impression that some stop at the headline and leave a laughing reaction (which always baffles me since what I write is completely serious).
Then again, if you’re reading this, you’re probably not one of these people, so this point is totally, well, pointless. But apparently people are more likely to click on listicles with odd numbers in them so I had to make up the numbers somehow. Anyway, have you signed up to Patreon yet?
Share my content
A Bis-Serjetà fan should be like a disciple, spreading the serious word far and wide. So, in the words of every Youtuber, SMASH that share button on Facebook. Unlike Jesus, I won’t ask you to leave behind your friends, family and co-workers to follow me – just to send them my articles on Whatsapp.
Sponsor Bis-Serjetà
Do you own a business? Want to promote your wares but can’t afford to advertise with the big boys? As mentioned, Bis-Serjetà is a one-man show, so I won’t fleece you too much. And the page has an average reach of about 15,000 people, most of whom are part of that sweet sweet 24-35-year-old demographic (to my regular fans, I’m sorry I’m whoring you out like this, but needs must).
Hire Karl Stennienibarra
Did you know you can hire me to be your writer, editor, proofreader or social media person? Well, now you do, so if you’ve got some work going, get in touch.
Bonus: Sign up to Patreon
Did I mention Petreon? Seriously, it’s the best way to help me and €3 a month – less than the cost of a pint – probably won’t bankrupt you.
