openDemocracy

Overview

openDemocracy is an independent, UK-based media platform reporting on social and political issues worldwide, describing its mission as challenging power and encouraging democratic debate. openDemocracy.net is published by openDemocracy Limited, a UK-registered company wholly owned by the nonprofit openDemocracy Foundation for the Advancement of Global Education.

History

openDemocracy was conceived in 2000 and launched in May 2001 by Anthony Barnett, David Hayes, Susan Richards and Paul Hilder. Barnett, previously the first director of the constitutional-reform campaign Charter 88, served as founding editor from 2001 to 2005 and editor-in-chief until 2007; Isabel Hilton succeeded him as editor from 2005 to 2007. The site's readership grew sharply after it published an essay by U.S. editor Todd Gitlin on the September 11 attacks. A 2013 fundraising drive of £250,000 saved the site from closure. Peter Geoghegan served as editor-in-chief from 2021 until stepping down in July 2023; Aman Sethi, previously deputy executive editor at HuffPost, was appointed editor-in-chief in January 2024. Satbir Singh has served as chief executive officer since July 2023. In September 2022, a company linked to former Kazakhstan president Nursultan Nazarbayev sued openDemocracy in the UK over its reporting.

Key personnel

Editor-in-Chief: Aman Sethi
Chief Executive Officer: Satbir Singh
Founder and Honorary President: Anthony Barnett

Location and contact info

Website
https://www.opendemocracy.net