New Internationalist: Buy into a better story

We are building a movement for media that brings people together. And you can own it.

Inequality is rising, our climate is changing and nationalist leaders are gaining ground. To handle what's coming we need knowledge - not click bait.  But fake news and media monopolies are spreading misinformation.  And all the while, the challenges of the information age are making it harder than ever for independent media like us to survive.

For the past 44 years, we have published stories that make sense of the complex and beautiful world we live in and offer bold, bright ideas for how to change things. This is journalism that has the power to bring people together. As we print our 500th edition, we are opening up the very core of our organisation by inviting YOU to join us as co-owners. The funds we raise will help us to get our stories out to more people than ever before.

What's the story?

Unlike other media businesses that depend on billionaires or corporate advertisers, we want our honest, independent journalism to be owned by the people who share our values. We've always been reader-powered; now we want to be reader-owned.

We aim to raise a minimum of £500,000 (US$ 625,000) through the world's biggest-ever media community share offer. This is an all-or-nothing funding drive - we've crunched the numbers and this is the sum we need to transform our business and set ourselves on a firm financial footing.

'In this time of fake news and endless online chatter, it’s more important than ever to have the New Internationalist' --  Lindsey Hilsum, International Editor, Channel 4 News.

What do I get in return for investing?

This is a big, bold offer to share with you our power and influence as a force for good. When you buy shares,  you become a co-owner of New Internationalist, charged with keeping us on track and making sure we never stray from the ethical values that shape our journalism.  To make this possible, we have adopted a new legal structure (see the Rules below) that allows for multiple stakeholders and has created the Common Council, an active forum for engaging with our work and strategic direction.

Depending on how much you invest, we have some lovely rewards to say thank you, which range from limited edition organic cotton t-shirts and gift subscriptions to our magazine, to signed-books and lectures-to-order by our editors.

'You give voice to those people in the world who are not normally listened to' -- Vanessa, investor

Who can buy shares?

Anyone can invest, from anywhere in the world, as long as they are aged 16 or over. Each share costs £1 and the minimum share holding in £50, the maximum is £100,000. A small shareholder will have just as much power as a large one.

'It’s essential in these torrid times to fund projects for the long term.  We need journalists with principles, time and resources' --Sue, investor

How will the money be used?

The share capital we raise will be used to increase our audience and impact, and secure our future long-term. It'll be directed at five key business areas, and we'll use it to: scale up our digital journalism, relaunch our magazine, boost our publishing arm and expand our Ethical Shop social enterprise and events programme. All offer opportunities to grow and are in line with our historic mission.

For more detail see our Share Offer and Business Plan below and the New Internationalist Charter [pdf].

Read Frequently Asked Questions to find out things like Can I make any money? What’s the worst that can happen? What if we don’t make our target, or exceed it? 

You can also get in touch. For UK and rest of the world please email: [email protected] or call: +44 (0)1865 413304.  And for Canada and the US please email: [email protected] or call: (613) 826-1319.

For press enquiries, contact: [email protected]

We hope you'll buy into a better story with us. Thank you very much!