Seven steps, money first.
Every deal follows the same steps, the same contract and the same escrow rules. Daylight runs the plumbing; buyers and journalists make every editorial decision.
Join as a journalistThe seven steps of every deal
The journalist lists
A teaser, the private details, format, language, an asking price or “open to offers”, exclusivity and an expiry date. The listing is timestamped and hashed, and the journalist can bar named buyers.
Approved buyers see the teaser
Only buyers who passed the business check see teasers, filtered by their own beats, regions and languages. Pro buyers see new teasers 24 hours earlier. Nothing is public or indexed by search engines.
Confidentiality, then details
To read the details, a buyer accepts the confidentiality terms. Each view is logged with a time and a hash, and the journalist can see the log.
Offers and counter-offers
Price, licence, deadline, byline, kill fee and milestones are agreed in the deal room. Phone numbers and emails stay hidden until escrow is funded.
The standard contract
When an offer is accepted, Daylight drafts the contract between buyer and journalist. Both sign electronically, and the text is hashed.
Escrow
The buyer pays the price, Daylight's fee and GST into a separate escrow account. Work starts only when it is funded.
Delivery and release
The journalist delivers in the deal room. The buyer accepts or raises a dispute within 7 days; if neither happens, the money is released on its own. Payouts reach the journalist within 2 working days.
₹8,000, worked through
A ₹8,000 ground report. The newsroom pays the fee on top; the journalist's 5% comes out of the price.
Rules that protect both sides
50%
Kill fee
If the buyer cancels after funding, the journalist receives the kill fee in the contract, 50% unless agreed otherwise, and the rest goes back to the buyer.
10 days
Disputes
Either side can raise one before release, and escrow freezes. Daylight decides on contract compliance only (delivered, on time, as agreed?) within 10 working days, never on whether the journalism is true.
5%
Direct deals
Bring a client new to Daylight and use Daylight's contract and escrow for 5% in total: 3% from the buyer, 2% from the journalist.
Advances
Milestones
An advance can be released when work starts, but only from money the buyer has already put in escrow.