View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

Funding initiatives will help Scottish investigative journalism outfit to bring in new and diverse voices

By Freddy Mayhew

Scottish investigative journalism co-operative The Ferret has won funding that it says will help it to “bring new voices into the media” and “build a community of journalists from all backgrounds”.

A £25,000 grant from development agency Firstport will be targeted at growing and engaging subscribers and “improving the inclusion of underrepresented groups in terms of Ferret contributors, voices within stories and themes covered”, said a spokesperson.

The Centre for Investigative Journalism is also funding a 12-week programme next year, run by The Ferret, that will publish stories chosen and written by a group of Scottish citizen journalists on its website.

The extra funds will allow The Ferret, a non-profit cooperative that is owned by its journalists and readers, to host a greater range of events in 2018, including a “major immersive journalism event” in the Spring.

Directors, Rachel Hamada and Layla Roxanne-Hill, have also created a shared role between them, that of joint heads of engagement and innovation, to continue pushing diversity.

Hamada said: “The Ferret is a rare breed among the Scottish media in that it has no corporate shareholders, no advertisers, and places reserved for its readers on the board.

“We’ve already shown that our cooperative model can deliver award-winning journalism to a high standard – but these grants will allow us to do more. They’ll allow us to find new supporters, bring new voices into the media and help us improve and diversify our digital storytelling.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

“We want talented storytellers to have a platform to tell their stories about life in Scotland, and we want to build a community of journalists from all backgrounds with the skills and the confidence to hold power to account.

“We are grateful to all our subscribers and funders who have backed our efforts to build a sustainable, transparent and accountable media for Scotland – and to grow The Ferret for everyone.”

On Monday, 15 January, The Ferret will run a women-only workshop in Glasgow on freedom of information, factchecking and feminism in a bid to “address an under representation of women in journalism”.

In the last 12 months, The Ferret’s annual recurring revenue from subscribers has increased by 118 per cent, it has claimed, with subscriber churn falling to 2 per cent.

The Ferret was the first publisher in Scotland to be regulated by alternative press regulator Impress.

Topics in this article :

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network