Unbias is a feminist newsroom working to redistribute the power of storytelling. We work with journalists who face structural barriers because of who they are or what they report on. We challenge the narratives underpinning division, oppression and exploitation, and platform stories that point the way to more just, sustainable and connected futures.
They say facts don’t change people’s minds. We say stories shape whole paradigms.
Unbias tells stories rooted in what is real: in lived experience and verifiable, fact-based reporting. At the same time, we reject notions of objectivity that imply there is any one story to be told, or any one way to tell it.
We collaborate with reporters around the world to expand the possibilities of narrative-building journalism.
Stories tell us who we are, where we came from, and where we’re headed. We need better stories. Diversity isn’t a moral question. It’s how we understand a polycrisis dominant narratives fail to grasp. It’s how we chart a different way forward.
Reciprocal collaboration: Our editorial process is rooted in collaboration. With every story, our editors learn much we didn’t know – we aim to reciprocate by sharing what we do know, helping reporters develop and sharpen their skills.
No parachute journalism: We work with reporters who are connected and engaged with the people, places and events they are reporting on.
Cross-border collaboration: We publish stories that connect the dots and reveal global dynamics behind local events. We help journalists work together across geographical borders and build narratives that transcend borders between beats, disciplines and cultures.
Untold stories: We’re not competing with other outlets for a scoop. We want stories that risk going untold. We dedicate time and energy to developing narratives that reporters have struggled to place.
Understanding, not just info: In a world flooded with information most of us don’t know what to do with, exposing the facts isn’t enough. Our narrative-building journalism aims at a more nuanced and coherent grasp of the world.
Unbias the narrative: Our stories upend narratives that rationalize injustice and dispel myths that fragment common causes into competing issues.
Storytelling lab: Our editors have developed techniques we’re keen to share – but we know these techniques default to specific narrative traditions. We are excited to work with storytellers who do things differently, and to explore the power of other traditions and new forms.
We are committed to ethical, fact-based reporting
As a Berlin-based non-profit, Hostwriter is bound by the German Press Code. We also adhere to the IFJ Global Charter of Ethics for Journalists.
We follow principles of transparency, accuracy and fairness, and employ rigorous factchecking processes.
We credit everyone who works on a story, cite direct and indirect sources, and link extensively to primary sources and other media.
We seek out experts who haven’t been repeatedly quoted in other media, and who may not actively promote their public profile.
We encourage and assist journalists to work with co-authors in other locations to extend their stories across borders, where relevant.
Our stories present people with agency and dignity.
We follow trauma-sensitive reporting guidelines and respect people as experts on their own stories.
We do not present people who have experienced trauma or injustice as biased or treat them as unreliable witnesses.
We ensure sources are aware they are speaking to a journalist and consent to being quoted.
We respect our sources’ time and limits and do not push them to share information that they, or we, believe might compromise their safety or wellbeing.
We ask for permission for photographs and seek parental or guardian consent to publish pictures of minors.
We are committed to the public good of solidarity journalism, we embody the care and craft of slow journalism, and we apply a systemic lens to principles of solutions journalism.
We are an anti-racist, feminist and inclusive publication.
We pay contributors the same regardless of nationality or where they live.
We do not use fixers and give all contributing reporters a byline (unless they request anonymity).
We prioritize journalists’ health and safety over getting a story. If your mental health is affected while working on a story with us, please talk to us.
We handle complaints from employees and contributors in a transparent manner according to our code of conduct.
We pay a kill fee for filed stories that don’t make it to publication.
Our stories are published under shared copyright, allowing us to offer them free of charge for republication, and allowing authors to republish, resell and retain ownership of their work.
We are committed to working toward the latest standards in digital safety and security.
has two decades’ experience across newsrooms large and small, with a focus on ecology, extractivism, migration and gender. At the same time, she has explored the power of storytelling as an author, editor, mentor, curator and facilitator of participatory projects.
THIS IS A PROJECT BY
