Can The Ferret be a Watchdog?

Abstract

There has been a recent, rapid growth in the number of digital start-ups seeking sustainable models for conducting journalism alongside a relative lack of detailed, empirical research about such organisations. This article addresses this gap by analysing The Ferret—a recently launched investigative journalism platform threatening to “nose up the trousers” of power in Scotland. Based on in-depth interviews with members of The Ferret’s Board of Directors, the article explores the motivations behind the launch of the co-operative, examines its growth to date and critically assesses its prospects of achieving a sustainable future. It finds The Ferret was a response to three perceived crises: democratic, economic and ethical. Its founders call upon the traditions and mythology of journalism while seeking to offer a new version of what journalism might be. Funded mainly by subscriptions, The Ferret has achieved slow but steady growth, but only survives due to the subsidised labour of its core team. The organisation is now reaching a tipping point where, if it is to endure, it must expand beyond its journalistic base, while building a much fuller understanding of the nature and motivations of its paying audience.

Keywords:

• alternative journalism
• crowdfunding
• entrepreneurial journalism
• Fourth Estate
• investigative journalism
• start-up
• watchdog

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author would like to thank Rob Edwards, Ally Tibbitt, Lisa Mackenzie and their fellow Directors of The Ferret for their co-operation in the preparation of this article.