Independent Journalism

Independent Journalism

For many years the path we walked took us round in circles inside the mainstream media - an industry we ventured into brimming with ideals. We saw it as a bastion of public accountability and rigorous institutional scrutiny. This, we thought, was a hallmark of countries like the UK - a free press, independent of governmental or corporate influence. We thought this was what guaranteed our freedom in contrast to the oppression we saw elsewhere.

These notions over time revealed their naivety. Where press coercion is overt individuals possess an advantage – they recognise the deception when it confronts them. In the UK the coercion lurks in covert financial tactics, shrouded in the clothing of "Brand UK."

Journalists and judges in a violent narco-state may fear the axe-wielding thug or the assassination. We face a subtler menace here: lawyers; draped in expensive suits hinting at prolonged consequences veiled in legal jargon.

Their counterparts within the press organisations themselves eagerly “mitigate risks” and together they work to perpetuate a cycle of silence.

Disparities in media coverage beg questions: why are certain issues spotlighted while others rot in the darkness? Who dictates these decisions? Bullies masquerade as ‘stakeholders’ or ‘partners’ and propagate narratives that are devoured and recycled dutifully and uncritically by the media conglomerates they own.

Recent events have unearthed unsettling truths, revealing a sinister undercurrent to our revered ‘fourth estate.’

There is no democracy in a TV newsroom. Talk of ‘creative industry' belies the reality, which is rigid hierarchy. Entry-level journalists quickly grasp the importance of the unbroken chain of command. Lesson number one: deviation means expulsion. Dissenters are sidelined while conformists ascend, prioritising obedience over truth.

Do super-wealthy entities acquire media outlets out of an obsession with honest discourse? Of course not. What they seek is to shape narratives to suit their agendas.

After years lost in this labyrinth our conscience forced us out the door. Equipped with skills honed over two decades - a way with cameras, a way with words - the question arises: to whom do we offer these skills? Directly to you, maybe. Perhaps then we can leverage our expertise to fulfil the idealistic aspirations of our younger selves.

We have to fit this mission around work we are paid to do. Please support us by watching, reading and sharing our journalism and sending paid work our way.