BC journalists launch new worker-owned investigative publication
Six reporters, editors, and photojournalists in Victoria and Vancouver are taking matters into their own hands with a new co-operative — launching just after World Press Freedom Day and International Workers’ Day — to publish investigative journalism about legal, justice, and rights issues.
VICTORIA & VANCOUVER — An award-winning team of journalists in Victoria and Vancouver have joined together to launch De Facto Journalism Co-op, just after both World Press Freedom Day (May 3) and International Workers’ Day (May 1).
De Facto is a non-profit publication composed of six worker-owners who are reporters, editors, and photojournalists. This innovative new outlet promises in-depth and investigative journalism focused on legal and justice issues, systems of power, and their impacts on Canadians from all walks of life.
Our members are: Emma Arkell, David Ball, Brishti Basu, Dustin Godfrey, Mike Graeme, and Cam Welch. They will be producing exclusive articles published at defactomedia.ca and delivered to readers via newsletter and social media platforms.
“After decades in journalism, I’ve seen investigative reporting take a back seat to easier and less risky stories — and some of the best journalists pushed out of our industry,” said David Ball, award-winning multimedia reporter and a De Facto co-founder.
“In-depth journalism that investigates the powerful is a slow, painstaking process. But years of money-saving or profit-seeking initiatives and mass layoffs have left our communities disconnected from the truth. At De Facto, we’re taking matters into our own hands.”
The team behind De Facto brings years of expertise and numerous awards after collectively working at over a dozen Canadian publications, both mainstream and independent — including CBC, the Toronto Star, The Tyee, Glacier Media, Capital Daily, and IndigiNews.
De Facto members’ desire to take charge of their own workplace arises from a deep understanding of how money influences decision-making in many media environments — as well as avoiding some topics for fear of legal threats from moneyed interests — to the detriment of public-interest journalism.
“After two job losses in one year from publications that claimed to be in dire financial straits but were, in fact, doling out hefty salaries and bonuses to executives, I found myself looking for a place to do journalism sustainably, without the fear of having the rug pulled out from under me at any minute,” said De Facto co-founder Brishti Basu.
“Credible sources of information outside the mainstream are more important now than ever before, and I’m proud to be a part of this team of talented worker-owners that has rekindled some of my faith in this challenging industry.”
At De Facto, journalists will focus on topics involving law enforcement, immigration, housing, health, and more, with an eye towards scrutinizing authority and holding power to account.
“People want to read more in-depth stories about abuse of power, and how that harms ordinary communities,” said De Facto co-founder and award-winning reporter Dustin Godfrey. “In my years of court reporting, it’s clear that systems of power — including the justice system itself — need to be exposed to the bright light of journalism.
“Our co-op members are excited to have more time, space, and support to pursue hard-hitting stories like this, and to hopefully help inspire solutions to urgent problems in society.”
Initially, this publication is funded by co-op members’ shares and surplus funding from our sister co-op, Debrief Communications. Debrief Comms adapts the common freelancer model of doing communications work to pay the bills, while avoiding clients that could pose a conflict-of-interest for our journalism, and uses some of those funds to keep the lights on at De Facto.
In the long run, journalists at De Facto aim to attain sustainability through a subscription revenue model, as well as grant funding.
After announcing our launch on International Workers’ Day, De Facto will begin to publish exclusive investigative journalism on Monday, May 4, a day after World Press Freedom Day.
