A new kind of independent news organisation
Exeter Observer is a new kind of independent local news organisation that holds power and influence to account while helping our cultural and community life to thrive.
It publishes news, features and investigative journalism which keeps people who live or work in Exeter informed about who is deciding what on whose behalf and what the costs and consequences of those decisions will be.
Community-owned and upholding high editorial standards, Exeter Observer is proving that reader-funded media can deliver the public interest news our democracy needs with an accountable not-for-profit publishing model that protects the public sphere.
“We need institutions that have the ability, both financially and culturally, to bring news that other institutions and individuals cannot.”
Carl Bernstein, Washington Post Watergate reporter
Exeter Observer is published by Exeter Observer Limited, Community Benefit Society No. 8435 registered by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014.
Its members hold shares in the society and have democratic rights on a one-member-one-vote basis regardless of the number of shares they hold (in contrast with the company convention of one-share-one-vote).
Membership is open to anyone who supports Exeter Observer’s community benefit purpose. It is a true not-for-profit organisation protected by a statutory asset lock: any surplus or assets can only be used for community benefit.
Exeter Observer’s members elect an accountable board of directors at annual general meetings to oversee its affairs. The procedures by which decisions are made are laid out in the FCA-registered Rules of Exeter Observer Limited, a legally-binding constitutional document which governs how it is run.
They prohibit Exeter Observer’s affiliation to any formal religious or political group which includes, but is not limited to, political parties, and they prohibit the appointment of a member of any political party to hold office as a director, chief executive or secretary.
“A newspaper is much more than a business. It has a moral as well as a material existence.”
C.P. Scott, Manchester Guardian editor 1872-1929
Exeter Observer’s aims and objects codify its public interest purpose, its constitution prevents the corruption of that purpose and its membership structure facilitates a publishing model that reflects the diversity of opinions and interests that constitutes Exeter’s public sphere.
Its community benefit purpose provides a public interest foundation on which to serve the city and its growing community of supporters, members and investors each contribute to its running costs to enable it to do so.
This addresses many of the problems created by traditional media ownership models, in which either wealthy individuals or remote, profit-motivated shareholders exert counterproductive influence on editorial and operational matters.
As an ICNN and BBC Local News Partnerships member Exeter Observer also upholds the Editors’ Code of Practice and provides a robust complaints procedure.
More about Exeter Observer
- A new kind of independent news organisation
- Distribution & promotion
- Democracy doesn't work when people don't know
- Legacy local news
- Exeter media in perspective
- Local news that matters
- References
Exeter Observer is published by Exeter Observer Limited, Community Benefit Society No. 8435 registered under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014.
Our registered address is St Sidwell’s Community Centre, Sidwell Street, Exeter EX4 6NN.