ABOUT US

Unfiltered is a cooperative of journalists and readers committed to covering news and views of the underrepresented and marginalised and to create a new way of reporting through independent, uncompromising, quality journalism. Our focus is on social issues through the perspective of real lives.
 
Unfiltered is based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, fairness, diversity, and solidarity. Members, both journalists and readers, value honesty, openness, social responsibility, and concern for others, and act on cooperative principles.
Below you can find out more about our vision, principles and mission. You can also find an introduction to members of our team and other media-related services we offer. If you like what you see, find out more about how to join us. If you want more information, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

VISION

If truth, as the saying goes, is the first casualty of war, it could be said that a fair and balanced media is the first casualty of populism. In recent years, the rise of populism, mixed with the growing influence of social media and its polemics and fake news, has inflicted severe wounds on journalism, in which public trust has been eroded. Never has there been a greater need for a different approach to reporting the realities faced by citizens, many of whom are wrestling with the social issues of today with an increasing cynicism and distrust of the very medium whose most fundamental remit was to keep them informed and uncover the injustices they face.

​This is our goal: to find a new modus operandi that informs while shunning sensationalism, polemics, stereotypes and prejudice; a way to tell it straight through news and views that are Unfiltered.

Unfiltered is founded on the core values of cooperation and collaboration, bringing together like-minded journalists and readers to self-fund and self-generate quality journalism without fear of interference from corporate or philanthropic sponsors.

​We embrace diversity and inclusivity as qualities that can enable us to broaden our outlook, our scope of ideas and thus the topics we cover diversity of ideas make us wiser; we hold dear the underlying tenets of any cooperative organisation, such as self-responsibility, equality, equity, solidarity and mutual respect. Our members also believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility, and caring for others.

MISSION

In a world of click-bait sensationalism and endless unpaid for, un-monitored content, finding the resources to cover worthwhile stories is becoming increasingly difficult for freelance journalists.  In an era when major ‘surveillance capitalist’ tech platforms control the way in which information is disseminated, it has become imperative that we come together to cultivate a media platform that is legally, fiscally and ethically accountable to its stakeholders — journalists and readers who are committed to fair and just reporting of pertinent social issues.  

Our mission is to shed light on the stories that are often filtered out by the mainstream media or even, at times, reporters themselves.  
Unfiltered.coop is a co-operative of  journalists and readers, committed to the values of solidarity and mutual respect.  By becoming owners of our media enterprise, we are able to publish quality journalism without fears of censorship from corporate or philanthropic sponsors. 

We can stay committed to an ethical framework of our own design, one that reflects our dedication to social justice. Shedding the conventional style of news media, Unfiltered.coop not only focuses on social issues through individuals’ experiences and stories, but also shares positive actions and good practices among its members. ​

​Unfiltered is open to all people who consider themselves committed to fostering the ethos of the cooperative movement (as defined by the International Co-operative Alliance) and who share in the vision and mission of UnfilteredAccording to the International Cooperative Alliance, “Cooperatives are people-centred enterprises owned, controlled and run by and for their members to realise their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations.” This remains at the heart of unfiltered‘s mission to “bring people together in a democratic and equal way.” 

Why a COOPERATIVE

Cooperatives are democratically run organizations that are owned by the members who are also the primary users of the cooperative’s services. This enables cooperatives to reflect the values and needs of those who utilize the cooperative, which are more diverse than generating surplus profit. For Unfiltered.coop, it is the cooperative model that allows journalists to maintain ownership and control of the content published through this platform. 

The cooperative model builds legitimacy into the business practices as its governance is executed by the primary beneficiaries of the business. This demonstrates accountability and sets the cooperative apart from competitors that are beholden to their corporate or philanthropic funders.