Vaping helps thousands of hard-core smokers to quit cigarettes and tobacco. But that's not the picture reflected in political decisions, aggressive campaigns and sloppily written articles in our mainstream media. For SEK 25 per month, or more, you as a vejpar can help me monitor and highlight important issues that affect the future of vejping and smoking cessation in Sweden. From a different perspective.
PATREON MONITORING - EASY AND SIMPLE - €25/month
THE SWISH WATCH (Mathisson Media) - 1231093830
Will you help me run Vejpkollen? I have a Patreon where you can "subscribe" to what I do. The money goes in full to produce Vejpkollen. The goal is for the site to be a fixed point for news about vejping and e-cigarettes - by and for users in Sweden. But for this to become a reality, funding is needed.
And that's where you come in.
You can support Vejpkollen financially. 25 SEK (or more for those who wish) per month. means a lot to me.
If you don't feel like supporting on a monthly basis, you can also contribute with one-off donations via Swish (my company name is Mathisson Media) Number: 1231093830
Many small streams, as they say!
Why is Vejpkollen needed?
E-cigarettes are often discussed in closed rooms, at government level and among politicians. Today, only certain stakeholder organisations have access and influence in these discussions. They are often ideologically driven, moneyed organisations whose goal is not really to help smokers stop smoking. Their goal is to remove all non-medicated nicotine products from the market. They often receive government support, but also raise money from other stakeholders who have an interest in the issues they pursue.
It is understandable that e-cigarette industry and entrepreneurs are not allowed to participate in direct talks. But to completely exclude the large group of users that exist in society is not right, especially as other interest groups are allowed to participate in the dialogue.
Vejpkollen is YOUR voice!
Vejpkollen is a platform where vejp's voice should matter. E-cigarettes are a product that can change lives. At the same time, the technology is treated as a threat in the Swedish political discussion. My goal is to raise these issues in different ways to the politicians who make the decisions. I want them to realise that their decisions have major consequences for consumers and entrepreneurs working with e-cigarettes. I want them to consider the role that access to e-cigarettes plays in reducing smoking in society. That by being appealing and accessible, e-cigarettes actually have an impact on public health in general - and on today's (and tomorrow's) smokers in particular.
How do I work with Vejpkollen?
News is at the heart of Vejpkollen. I work in exactly the same way as any other specialised magazine. What is important to the readers? Why is it important? What do you want to read about? What is relevant? Are there multiple perspectives on an issue? Who gets to speak?
I make a news ratingi.e. judging the priority of an article in relation to others. But I also try to balance the content so that it does not become monotonous.
My current order of priority:
1. articles directly related to Swedish vejpare and entrepreneurs.
2. Articles that are primarily concerned with vejpare in the EU but ultimately may also be consequences in Sweden.
3. Articles on research on vejpning, which in one way or another increases the knowledge of the technology also for Swedish vejp users and entrepreneurs.
4. Overseas news of interest to, but not necessarily directly affecting, Swedish citizens and businesses.
5. articles based on different the work of interest groups and campaigns. May include reports, statements and debates from around the world.
And so on. The list of entries is long and growing all the time. What's more, breaking news is emerging all the time.
Is it financially viable?
Answer: no not really - money was not the reason why I started working on Vejpkollen. But this does not mean that it is not a dream to be able to finance the project. From time to time, through scholarships, I have the opportunity to take leave from my daily work to monitor, travel, interview, write photos and distribute articles. But often I produce articles in the evening, when the family is asleep and the dog is walked. In the future, I hope that Vejpkollen can bring enough income to make the journalistic work at least a part-time job. But it all depends on the support of readers and industry players. If I can get 100 Patreons many opportunities open up...
Why don't companies advertise in Vejpkollen?
Companies selling e-cigarettes (and other products that are regulated as tobacco or similar products) in Sweden are not allowed to pay for anything that could be perceived as "marketing". Vejpkollen is by all means not marketing, it's journalism, but it is Consumer Agency which is decided on a case-by-case basis. And even if it is technically possible, it is not possible to build a media site on a long-term basis using paid advertising. That is not to say that companies can also support an activity that is relevant to their business. A supporting subscription to a trade magazine is perfectly acceptable!
190 articles since its inception
I see Vejpkollen as a long-term project. The site has been active since autumn 2019 and currently has an average of 500 readers a week. I promote Vejpkollen via social media, mainly Facebook, but I am constantly working to optimise the site so that it is visible on different search engines.. Currently (September 2022) there are 225 articles on the site (an average of one new article every week). It includes news on everything from small and large studies to political decisions and reports on individual vejpers and entrepreneurs active in the vejp world in Sweden.
It is hoped that the content can be broadened in the future, through reports and longer interviews from the Swedish vejp shelf. But it depends on time and money, of course.
The future of Vejpkollen
Of course, I would like to be able to develop Vejpkollen, or rather the idea behind the site, into something that also affects smokers and vejp users outside the internet. Information material, lectures and other useful events and seminars are some ideas on the list. It all depends on the conditions that exist.
Ultimately, it is you, the users/readers, who decide!
If you've managed to read this far, I may have persuaded you to join the Vejpkollen project. Think about it! Go to Patreon and read about the options available to contribute in a way that suits you! You'll need to connect a debit card to make monthly transfers, but it's no more complicated than a direct debit. And of course you can stop whenever you want! Link to Get me a coffee can be found HERE!
If someone prefers to support in another way (e.g. via the SWISH), you can do so here: 1231093830 (please mark the message with "Vejpkollen").
