The podcast that has enough money: How “Raport o stanie świata” built a business on credibility

After his contract was not renewed by Polskie Radio Trójka in January 2020, veteran journalist Dariusz Rosiak faced an uncertain future. With hesitation, he turned to crowdfunding as a last resort. The listener-funded model not only saved his programme, Raport o stanie świata, but transformed it into one of Poland's most successful independent podcasts, built on a quality over quantity model.

Raport provides weekly, in-depth global analysis, featuring a signature mix of expert interviews, analytical commentaries, and on-site reports from around the world. Each episode is up to 2 hours long and contains around 5–7 topics. Rosiak's approach is to explore global issues from as many varied perspectives as possible.

The Fix spoke with Dariusz Rosiak on building a unique example of an outlet without ads or grants and “having enough”.

“It's not my style to ask for money”. Overnight success of a “last resort” option

When Dariusz Rosiak was let go from the radio after 14 years, he offered his international affairs programme to all major media outlets he could think of. However, the conditions offered were “unacceptable”. Persuaded by friends, Rosiak reluctantly launched a crowdfunding campaign on Patronite, Polish alternative to Patreon, in February 2020, admitting he was “very timid about it” and felt it wasn't his “style to ask for money”.

The response from listeners was immediate and overwhelming. The main reason for such response was a strong personal brand of Rosiak and his 14 years old podcast. Within hours of the campaign's launch, it had raised thousands of PLN, and in about a week, it hit the 25,000 PLN (about 5,800 EUR at the time) monthly target needed to produce the podcast weekly. The first independent episode was released on 7 March 2020, marking a new chapter for the programme.

“I was ready to accept that at some point we would have to give it up. <…> We didn't know how it was going to work, but, you know, the first night [of crowdfunding] was amazing. And at that moment we knew that it was going to work”, Rosiak comments.

“I don’t need more money.” The business model of credibility

Today, Raport o stanie świata operates on a stable monthly budget of around 120,000 PLN (about 28,000 EUR). This comes only from donations: around 7,000 patrons on Patronite who contribute over 100 thousand PLN monthly (after 10% commission from the service), and direct agreements with a few other donors. Operational costs of the project are funded by its audience.

Rosiak believes that this is sufficient. “I'm probably one of these few people in the world who say I have enough money. I don't need more money,” he tells The Fix. This financial stability is built on a core principle that the team maintains total editorial control. “Our business model is credibility,” Rosiak says, and adds that they have rejected some potential donors whose image was not aligned with the podcast's values.

For new projects under Raport’s umbrella, the podcast sometimes partners with an exclusive sponsor for a particular series, a model it plans to use again this autumn. “We're not selling anything. The first thing any patron or sponsor knows is that we have total journalistic control, editorial control over what's happening”, describes Rosiak.

“We have to be the best, but not the biggest.” The Raport’s philosophy

While patron funding has reached a ceiling after its initial rapid growth, Rosiak is not concerned with constant expansion: “Our aim is not to grow all the time. We are not a corporation. We have to be the best, but not the biggest”.

This philosophy allows the team to focus on quality over quantity. Rosiak compares the project to a “family pizza place rather than a corporation preparing noodles”.

This approach has proven successful, with the podcast consistently ranking 4th of all podcasts in Poland, while being the only news podcast in the top 10. Its main programme has around 150,000 listens, while its Wednesday programme Raport na dziś (Today’s report) receives 60,000–70,000 listens. Another popular Polish podcast on international affairs, Dział Zagraniczny, is ranked 12th.

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“Polish reader is not interested in it.” The phenomenon of audiences’ interest in the world

The podcast's continued success challenges a long-held myth within some Polish journalists that the audience is not interested in international issues. “I never actually accepted this idea,” Rosiak notes, and his experience proves the opposite. He finds that the more “exotic” or seemingly distant a topic is, the more listeners it often attracts.

This interest isn't unique to his programme. “Maciej Okraszewski, who's the head of Dział Zagraniczny podcast, has this motto ‘Polish reader is not interested in it’. He actually heard that many times when he suggested a topic for writing in Polityka, where he worked before. He got fed up with it, started his own project, and basically disproved the idea that Polish reader is not interested in it”, describes Rosiak.

He points out that whenever the global situation “gets hotter,” other podcasts focused on foreign affairs also climb the charts, proving a real appetite for in-depth international news among Polish listeners.

“You know the system, you know the people.” A team that grew naturally

The core team behind Raport consists of about 6 people who handle the day-to-day operations, supplemented by freelance reporters. Many have a background with Polskie Radio. The team works remotely, with members based in cities like Brussels, Warsaw, or Krakow.

According to Rosiak, the team grew naturally. There is no formal recruitment process. Instead, they find the right people for the project. Rosiak acknowledges that the perceived instability of a crowdfunded project deters some journalists who choose the security of a major media outlet, but he notes there is no truly stable job in the media business today.

Bonus: What to read if you want to understand the world

Speaking to The Fix from his home, Dariusz Rosiak is framed by a personal library so vast that it doesn't come close to fitting on the screen. When asked for recommendations, he advises reading novels to gain a wider perspective. “Novels are the kind of literature that broadens your perspective because it opens you up to people who are different from yourself,” he explains. He believes non-fiction has become increasingly “identity orientated,” whereas novels offer a way to understand the world more deeply.

His recommendations for people in the media field include:

• Twice in June by Argentinian writer Martin Kohan, about the country's military junta.
• Radetzky's March by Austrian writer Joseph Roth.
• Null, the latest novel on Ukraine by Polish author Szczepan Twardoch.
• The Doll by Bolesław Prus, for anyone who wants to understand 19th-century Poland.

“That's how I see journalism: talking about the world and telling the stories about the things that happen around us,” says Dariusz Rosiak.

Source of the cover image: courtesy of Raport o stanie świata