A new model for investigative journalism

Why We Invested: The Ferret

Famous for their inquisitive nature, the ferret has a reputation for getting to hidden places out of human reach. In Scotland, it has become the emblem for an independent media initiative that seeks to flush out corruption and dig up stories that speak to the interests and values of its members.

The Ferret’s founding statement nicely encapsulates its approach: “in a democracy like ours few things are more important than a free, fair, and independent media holding the powerful to account by discovering their secrets… but The Ferret will not be dour. It will be challenging, irreverent, cheeky even. It will tap into the rich vein of Scottish journalism to produce good writing, exclusive, and must-read stories. And it will listen to its readers, who will all have a say in what it does.”

Its first investigation was the result of a public poll to decide what issue to pursue — fracking came out on top — and a crowdfunding campaign to pursue it. The Ferret has since published over 530 public interest stories, often via partnerships with major Scottish and UK titles such as The Daily Record and The Guardian. Based on ongoing input from its readers and the specialisms of its staff, The Ferret has focused on topics such as the environment, human rights, and data issues such as surveillance and technology.

As Omidyar Network started to scope opportunities to support independent media in the UK last year, The Ferret quickly emerged as an innovative initiative that fit well with our strategic interests in new models for independent media and holding power to account. Led by seasoned professional journalists, The Ferret has had some big wins, including its exposé of a neo-Nazi group called Scottish Dawn. A six-month undercover collaboration with the Daily Record, Scotland’s biggest daily, led to the group’s proscription as a terrorist organisation by the UK Home Office. It has uncovered a public finance loss of nearly £1bn from the Scottish Government’s private finance schemes and Police Scotland’s extraction of data from over 35,000 phones over three years. Recently The Ferret has exposed concerns about “dark money” funding the Scottish Conservatives, prompting questions to the Prime Minister, Theresa May, in the House of Commons and an investigation by the Electoral Commission.