The Ferret
https://theferret.scot/
In May 2015, a team of Scotland-based journalists specialising in investigative journalism - Rob Edwards, Peter Geoghegan, Billy Briggs, and Rachel Hamada - launched The Ferret after a crowdfunding campaign aiming to raise £3,800 to investigate fracking. They raised more than £9,000, allowing the journalists to start another investigation to examine asylum seekers' plight and begin their enterprise.
The Ferret's investigations aim to elevate the significance of investigative journalism in the UK, holding power to account, uncovering the secrets of the powerful, and bringing members of society into editorial decision-making.
Regulated by Impress, The Ferret is a registered cooperative, a unique hybrid model in Scotland. It allows journalists and subscribers a place on the board, making readers more than passive recipients of its stories. Subscribers are partial owners of the project and have a say in its development, even the ability to stand for election to the outlet's board.
In 2017, with funding from Google News Initiative, the Ferret launched a fact-checking service, the Ferret Fact Service, checking claims from politicians, public figures, and organisations about issues affecting Scotland.
The Ferret has received several awards for its investigations. In 2016, it was shortlisted in the Digital Innovation category of the 2016 British Journalism Awards. In 2018, co-founding director Billy Briggs and photographer Angela Catlin were awarded Outstanding Digital Journalist of the Year at the Scottish Press Awards. That same year, co-editor Karing Goodwin and photographer Angela Catlin won the Online/Digital Award at the 2018 Scottish Refugee Media Awards for a story highlighting the increasing number of children being destitute in Scotland.
This independent media organisation guarantees its sustainability using different revenue streams: member subscriptions, grant funding, event and training fees, and the sale of its stories to other media organisations.
Last updated: January 2023