Funding & Transparency
As a non-profit organization, we are committed to transparency. Please find below the details about what we are doing, where our financial means come from, how we spend them and who is involved in the decision-making process. For any further questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at hello@unbiasthenews.org.
Unbias the News is a feminist cross-border newsroom run by Hostwriter, a Berlin-based non-profit organization that helps journalists to easily collaborate across borders. We currently connect more than 6,000 registered journalists in 160+ countries.
Hostwriter gUG (limited liability)
Karl-Marx-Str. 166
12043 Berlin
Hostwriter was founded in Hamburg in 2013.
In 2021, Hostwriter launched Unbias the News as a feminist cross-border newsroom to pursue inclusive public interest reporting. We send a signal against the lack of diverse perspectives in the media industry, in which Journalists of Color, colleagues with immigrant roots or disabilities are dramatically underrepresented.
Here’s a scan of our complete founding documents.
Hostwriter is recognized as a charitable organization for providing occupational training for journalists and strengthening international understanding and tolerance. Our most recent notice from the German tax authorities concerning the recognition as a tax-privileged (non-profit) corporation dates back to February 8th, 2021.
Here’s a scan of our latest fiscal notice.
Editorial team
- Editor-in-chief: Tina Lee
- Editors: Mercy Abang, Ankita Anand, Wafaa Albadry (contributing editor), Gabriela Ramírez (multimedia content), Purple Romero, Zahra Salah Uddin
Management team
- Managing Directors: Mercy Abang & Julia Vernersson.
Supervisory Board
- Jutta Freifrau von Falkenhausen – Lawyer and Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board
- Maren Heltsche – Web developer and Vice-Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board
- Aline Abboud – TV anchor and journalist
- Eva-Maria McCormack – Strategic Communications
- Tabea Grzeszyk – Entrepreneurial Journalist and Co-Founder of Hostwriter
- Merve Kayikci – Journalist and innovation manager
- Michael Weber – Financial expert and founder
Unbias the News was launched as a project of Hostwriter with the aim of contributing to more diversity in international reporting. By publishing underrepresented voices, we want to increase international understanding across borders and contribute to the elimination of prejudice and discrimination. Find below our narrative reports since 2018, including previous projects by Hostwriter:
Hostwriter has five part-time employees: Mercy Abang and Julia Vernersson (co-Managing Directors), Tina Lee (Editor-in-chief), Gabriela Ramírez (Head of Data and Multimedia) and Judit Csikós (Project Manager). The editorial team works on a freelance basis.
In 2023, Hostwriter received financial support from the following foundations:
Luminate: 114.602 EUR
Journalism Fund: 2000 EUR
European Cultural Foundation: 11.984 EUR
Limelight: 20.000 EUR
Creative Europe – European Media Platforms: 53.895 EUR
Creative Europe Journalism Partnerships: 37.500 EUR
European Journalism Center: 66.950 EUR
Other Sources of funding:
Charitable activities (journalism trainings, etc.): 19.878 EUR
Donations: 22.820 EUR
Others (shared office space, etc.): 12.300 EUR
For previous years, please refer to our audited financial records accessible below (“8. Application of Funds”).
Please find our audited financial records below.
Spending in 2023:
Project costs
134.828 EUR
Salaries and Wages
Personnel costs: 180.406 EUR
Social security costs: 40.537 EUR
Others (office, server costs, admin)
27.127 EUR
Please refer to our audited financial records for details:
We don’t have any legal organizational involvements with third parties, no for-profit activities („outsourced service providers“) and no legal ties to any other partner organizations.
Financial year 2022
Adessium Foundation: 61.588 EUR
Luminate: 92.127 EUR
Lottery Foundation: 100.000 EUR
European Journalism Center: 64.950 EUR
We certify that all decision-makers meet on a regular basis and that these meetings are protocoled. Questions submitted to our organization are answered within a reasonable time. Our yearly financial records are signed by a Hostwriter decision-maker. In case of examination of our yearly report, compliance with this commitment is checked by our internal test committees, a chartered accountant or financial auditor.
Unbias the News is a project of Hostwriter, a Berlin-based non-profit organization that helps journalists to easily collaborate across borders. Hostwriter was confirmed as equivalent to a U.S. public charity by NGOsource. Our Equivalency Determination certification is valid through December 31, 2021, see here.
We are supported by
Do you have any questions about Unbias the News or Hostwriter?
Please get in touch.
