About us
openDemocracy is an independent global media organisation
Through reporting and analysis of social and political issues, we seek to educate citizens to challenge power and encourage democratic debate across the world.
You can read our annual report for 2020 here and our strategic plan for 2020-22 here.
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openDemocracy projects
Investigative journalism and critical commentary challenging the exclusion of women's and LGBTIQ voices from public debates around the world
Beyond Trafficking and Slavery explores the root causes of forced labour, trafficking and slavery with academic rigour and journalistic clarity.
We monitor the crisis in European democracy, looking across our borders to clarify the dangers and envision a different future.
Who is bankrolling British politics? We want to get past donor anonymity to find out the whole story
A global platform that publishes voices influencing the debate on democracy, human rights and civil liberties in Latin America, Europe and beyond.
digitaLiberties is openDemocracy's debate on democracy, freedom, privacy and the digital age
Analysis and reporting reflecting the vibrant diversity of voices, cultures and peoples in a region often reduced to a homogeneous whole
Reportage, comment and analysis of the progressive agenda in Eurasia
openDemocracyUK covers the unfolding crisis in Britain's democracy, its root causes and the injustices which stem from it
Committed to a comprehensive, universal, publicly funded and owned National Health Service for the UK, breaking the stories other media miss
Putting people, planet and power at the centre of the debate about our economic future
To effectively counter fascist and far-right extremism you need to understand it. Which groups are revolutionary or violent? Who are the most dangerous figures, and why? And, vitally, what are the best ways to counter the radical right?
Breaking the spiral of violent radicalisation
A space to examine the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic raises for vulnerable residents and workers at and within national borders. We will also shine a spotlight on resilience and solidarity across those frontiers as well as across boundaries of ethnicity, gender, age and class.
Every Thursday, openDemocracy brings together a panel of experts to discuss topics ranging from global economics to racialised inequality. Join for free to watch the live stream and put your questions to the panel
The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act gives citizens the right to ask for information from any public body. But across the UK, access to information is increasingly difficult
Our readers
We are read by people who influence and change the world.
- Nearly 40% consider themselves activists
- 21% work in drafting policies or influencing policymaking
- 21% are writers or journalists
We influence those who read us
- 65% said openDemocracy helps shape their opinions
- 70% had recommended openDemocracy to friends and colleagues
We are valued as an independent voice filling gaps not covered by other media
- Nearly 90% of readers surveyed said they had come across facts or perspectives on openDemocracy they had not seen in other media
- 71% said they read openDemocracy because it is independent (not controlled by vested interests)
We influence the media
We receive daily information or interview requests from leading global media outlets including BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera, Washington Post, The New York Times, Bloomberg, NPR, Russia Today, The Guardian, Huffington Post, Le Monde Diplomatique, El Mundo, Sky News, ITV, CBC, ABC, Channel 4, Islam Channel and USA Today.
We harness the openness of the internet
By publishing with Creative Commons licensing, we extend the reach of our articles far beyond our own website and readership, as they are cross-posted, referenced and translated into other languages.
Our funding
We depend on support from those who appreciate the importance of our work, both individuals and organisations. Please consider supporting us to help openDemocracy survive and grow.
Inclusivity information
In 2020, openDemocracy had 56 team members, including eight ‘fellows’ – early- or mid-career journalists joining us for six months to develop their skills and careers
- 55% of our team were women, 43% were men and one was gender non-conforming
- 79% were white
- They lived in Armenia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Kenya, Lebanon, the Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Uganda, the UK, the US and Uruguay
The senior management team had four members
- Two were women, two were men
- 75% were white
We hired 21 people, including the fellows
- 66% were women, 29% were men and one was gender non-conforming
- 71% were white
The openDemocracy board (excluding people already covered above) had 11 members
- Six were women, five were men
- 82% were white
We are committed to continuous learning and transparency about our peformance on diversity, equity and inclusion.
Financial highlights
In 2020 we received £2.27m in income
And we spent £2.21m
We publish a list of every major donor that funds us each year on our website.
Legal
openDemocracy.net is published by openDemocracy Limited, a UK-registered company (#3855274) wholly owned by the non-profit openDemocracy Foundation for the Advancement of Global Education (company limited by guarantee #04807614).
Executive
openDemocracy's first editor-in-chief was its co-founder Anthony Barnett (2001-07). He was succeeded by Tony Curzon Price (2007-12), Magnus Nome (2012-14) and Mary Fitzgerald (2014-21). Peter Geoghegan is the incumbent.
Anthony was also the first editor. He handed over the editorship to Isabel Hilton (2005-2007); Tony Curzon Price become editor in 2007 and handed over this role to Rosemary Bechler in 2010, who in turned handed over to Adam Ramsay in 2019.
Annual reports
You can read our annual report for 2019 here and for 2020 here.
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