Forty years after the fall of Uruguay’s military dictatorship, the families of the disappeared are still demanding answers. Slowly but surely – through alliances that span politics, forensics, law, history and anthropology – they are casting light into the darkest recesses of their country’s past, in hope of a brighter future.
Before industrialized farming conquered the continent, the crops that fed Europe were adaptable varieties that evolved as peasants freely exchanged seeds, from harvest to sowing, generation after generation. Reviving these seed systems could protect our food supply from future climate shocks – if EU regulations don’t strangle them out completely.
Democracy Playbook
Latest Articles
Community in La Cañada Real: The women defending Spain’s biggest informal settlement
For decades, Moroccan immigrants have called La Cañada Real home. Now, real estate speculators are closing in on the informal settlement. Authorities are starving the community of basic infrastructure and demolishing homes. But women are pushing back against eviction and uniting against oppression from outside their community and within.
Building from the base: How Turkey’s opposition mounted a comeback
Imprisoned since March, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is considered the greatest threat to Erdogan’s power in decades. But how did Imamoglu and the CHP mount a successful comeback despite a captured media and demoralized opposition? Research, militancy, and relentless positivity proved key.
Consent violated: how creators pay the price for stolen OnlyFans content
Up against a platform and police who seem to view abuse as inevitable, OnlyFans creators are fighting back against online harassers who gamify stealing and distributing their copyrighted material.
Is AI becoming democracy’s little helper? Without more transparency, how would we know?
If democracy is indeed “government of the people, for the people and by the people,” then legislators must provide more transparency on the extent to which the governance of people is currently being outsourced to machines.
Caught between two worlds: Syrians in Europe grapple with the right to return
Since the Assad regime fell in December 2024, Europe’s 1.4 million Syrian refugees have been navigating the legal, emotional and security challenges of going back to a country they thought they may never see again.
Invisible no more: Latinas organize against gender-based violence in Europe
Across Europe, Latin American women are coming together in myriad networks of mutual support, to face down isolation, exploitation and inadequate public services.
The Rainmakers of Morocco
Morocco’s drought-flood chaos is fueling a storm of cloud seeding conspiracies.
“From pity – nothing; from dignity – everything”: How domestic and care workers changed Spanish labor law
A migrant-led movement has used tactics from theatre to unionization to demand equal rights and dignity for those doing society’s most undervalued labor. They’ve appealed to the highest levels of EU justice and achieved major legal reforms. Yet perhaps their biggest triumph is an ongoing movement for social change powered by intersectional solidarity and care.
Unsolved conflict and uncollected trash: In Bamenda, Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis is spilling onto the streets
In Bamenda, the capital of Northwest Cameroon, a physical reminder of the Anglophone Crisis is visible on the streets: uncollected trash. Residents must navigate sights and smells that deter business, threaten their health, and increase the risks of environmental damage. But some are fighting back.
Focus: Media
Why journalists are speaking out against Western media bias in reporting on Israel-Palestine
Media should not only inform, but foster understanding without exacerbating tensions or perpetuating biased narratives. Instead, Western media’s coverage of Israel-Palestine has prioritised certain perspectives while diminishing others, neglecting crucial context and perpetuating (unconscious) stereotypes.
Reporting migration as a human story: tips from our journalists
“I not only understand the circumstances that lead people to move abroad, but I also share their experiences, know the problems and processes they went through to come here, and because immigrants tend to build networks to provide help for each other,” Landivar notes.
Gender editor: a new newsroom role is fighting sexism in the Peruvian media
“we have to constantly demonstrate our value and are questioned for pointing out the attacks and misogynistic coverage that has been carried out for decades without any of these renowned men of power mentioning it.”
Unpaid wages, paid press conferences: How politicians manipulate the news in Cameroon
In most parts of Cameroon, the news is what the newsmaker wants it to be, and a brown envelope with cash can buy anyone exactly the news they want the public to hear.
Mining for stories in Africa: when journalism becomes an extractive industry
How a Namibian freelance journalist dealt with Western Media’s exploitative practice, accounts of mining for local contacts, the personal stories, and sentiments from across Africa.
Focus: climate
Seeds of resistance: The fight to preserve Europe’s peasant seeds
Before industrialized farming conquered the continent, the crops that fed Europe were adaptable varieties that evolved as peasants freely exchanged seeds, from harvest to sowing, generation after generation. Reviving these seed systems could protect our food supply from future climate shocks – if EU regulations don’t strangle them out completely.
“Back door privatization”? Global South’s Share of Deep-Sea Mining Profits Under Scrutiny
The International Seabed Authority is supposed to ensure that profits from the deep sea are shared with all mankind. But so far, a few companies seem poised to take a majority share.
Genetic engineering against malnutrition: Does Golden Rice live up to its promise?
For the first time ever, large quantities of the genetically modified “golden rice” were harvested in the Philippines. It is supposed to save children’s lives. Rice farmers, nutrition experts and mothers report on their experiences.
Where sun pays the bills: how a village in India is testing the limits of solar power
In Modhera, no one pays for electricity any more. Instead, villagers look at their electricity bills every month to see how much money they’ve earned from selling solar-generated electricity to the main grid.
A new crop of farmers fight stereotypes and food insecurity in Asian and African metropoles
“We are farming sustainably and extremely efficiently, we use 95% less water than traditional farming, and we are net carbon negative, because we use renewable energy,”
Focus: Migration
M’Ama Food: Immigrant-run catering mixes flavors in Milan
Blending traditions and experimenting with new combinations, a catering service that began at a refugee reception center is winning over Italian palates.
Faith and finances: The religious communities providing a lifeline for immigrants
Finding a foothold in Europe can be an immense logistical, economic, social and emotional challenge, but some immigrants are finding a sense of home in communities bound by belief.
Prison of papers: As Netherlands ramps up detentions, undocumented immigrants speak out
“It’s just like a prison, but worse,” says Omar. “You don’t know when you’ll be out. You can’t do anything all day. You don’t even have your personal room. You feel crushed.”
“They will start locking us up” The humanitarian toll of saving lives at the Polish-Belarussian border
What happens when ordinary people become human rights defenders? In a village in Poland, volunteers shoulder the burden their state resists by helping those who cross the border from Belarus to seek asylum.
Invisible children: the struggle of Nepali mothers returning home
“I became totally helpless. I was there to earn money to support my family, but I was trapped abroad,” Sunita said.
Unbias your inbox
Do you share our mission? Sign up for our newsletter so we can keep in touch!
Follow @unbiasthenews
How can citizens push back when corruption is deeply entrenched?
In South Africa, the Organization Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) turned an unpopular e-toll system into a catalyst for citizen resistance.
Through civil disobedience, strategic litigation, and crowdfunding, OUTA united business leaders, unions, activists, and ordinary drivers in a campaign that resulted in $1.65 billion in unpaid tolls and ultimately led to the government`s suspension of the scheme in 2023.
Over time, OUTA evolved from opposing road tolls into one of the country’s most formidable anti-corruption watchdogs, taking on powerful corporations, exposing graft, and holding politicians accountable in court.
📖 Read the full Democracy Playbook article by Ray Mwareya with illustrations by Eusebio Linares: How challenging road tolls led to resisting state capture in South Africa @officialoutasa
#corruption #outa #SouthAfrica #DemocracyPlaybook #UnbiasTheNews
How can citizens push back when corruption is deeply entrenched?
In South Africa, the Organization Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) turned an unpopular e-toll system into a catalyst for citizen resistance.
Through civil disobedience, strategic litigation, and crowdfunding, OUTA united business leaders, unions, activists, and ordinary drivers in a campaign that left $1.65 billion in tolls unpaid—and forced the government to suspend the scheme in 2023.
Over time, OUTA evolved from opposing road tolls into one of the country’s most formidable anti-corruption watchdogs, taking on powerful corporations, exposing graft, and holding politicians accountable in court.
📖 Read the full Democracy Playbook article by Ray Mwareya with illustrations by Eusebio Linares: How challenging road tolls led to resisting state capture in South Africa.
#corruption #outa #SouthAfrica #DemocracyPlaybook #UnbiasTheNews
💰✍🏾 When journalism feels like mining. Namibian journalist Namupa Shivute draws a sharp parallel between the centuries-long extraction of Africa’s resources and a quieter, modern form of exploitation: Western media swooping in for stories, contacts, and cultural knowledge — while leaving African reporters underpaid, uncredited, and sidelined.
From “stringer” gigs that drain time, money, and emotional labor, to broken promises from supposedly “decolonial” outlets, Shivute exposes how racial capitalism shapes whose voices are amplified and whose are mined for parts.
This is not just about one journalist’s experience. It’s about a global media economy that still profits from Africa while denying it full authorship of its own narratives.
Read the full piece 👉 https://unbiasthenews.org/journalism-as-extractive-industry-africa/
#MediaEquity #DecolonizeJournalism #Africa #StoryMining #MediaJustice
When truth-telling can land you in prison, Egyptian dissidents go online. Exile, activists, journalists & artists now using YouTube and social media to defy Al-Sisi’s censorship—and they`re reaching millions. Their videos expose corruption, challenge propaganda, and keep the spirit of the 2011 revolution alive.
Read our article: YouTube Warriors: Egypt’s Political Exiles Defy the Regime Online
✍️ Written by Mostafa Amin
Illustration by Yorgos Konstantinou
#egypt #media #pressfreedom
What happens when your president promises freedom, but brands himself "the world`s coolest dictator"? El Salvador’s mass incarceration plan under Bukele is being praised, exported, and copied. But at what cost?
▪️ Over 85,000 detained—many without charges or trial
▪️ CECOT, a mega-prison, houses thousands under extreme conditions
▪️ The U.S. State Dept. found evidence of torture, starvation, and deaths
▪️ Some U.S. politicians now want to import this model
Our journalist and columnist Lya Cueller @littlelya_ explores how El Salvador’s regime blends authoritarian control with digital hype. From Bitcoin to mass surveillance, creating what she calls a crypto-carceral state.
Why are far-right and tech elites—from Trump to Thiel—so drawn to it? Is El Salvador exporting safety or selling a blueprint for tech-powered authoritarianism? Check out our latest opinion piece for the Democracy Playbook.
Opinion: El Salvador is the far-right’s dream crypto-carceral state – and it’s failing
Written by Lya Cuéllar
Illustration by Yorgos Konstantinou
Video: Gabriela Ramirez
#bukele #trump #pandillas #elsalvador #derechoshumanos #humanrights #democracyplaybook
🗳️ The media has done well in exposing the authoritarian playbook — the tactics used to silence dissent, capture institutions, and suppress minorities.
But what about the resistance?
📢Our Democracy Playbook shifts the focus: We report on the movements fighting back for free speech, climate justice, and independent courts.
Too often, these efforts are framed as disruptions. We asked: What if they were recognized as part of a global resistance to authoritarianism?
🌍 Journalists worldwide answered. Their stories have already started to be published, and many more will come throughout 2025. Visit unbiasthenews.org/democracy-playbook/
#DemocracyPlaybook #PressFreedom #UnbiasTheNews #Democracy #SocialMovements #Authoritarianism
🎥 What does objectivity in journalism really mean? What is bias in the media, and how is it perpetuated? What is the role of the media as AI now enters the global media conversation? These are some of the questions we tackled during our Display City Sessions in Berlin.
We wanted to bring this conversation back with this presentation of our Co-Managing Director Mercy Abang, who challenges the myth of neutrality and dives into the importance of whose voices we center in our reporting.
#media #objectivity #unbiasthenews #power #bias
When truth-telling can land you in prison, Egyptian dissidents go online. Exile, activists, journalists & artists now using YouTube and social media to defy Al-Sisi’s censorship—and they`re reaching millions. Their videos expose corruption, challenge propaganda, and keep the spirit of the 2011 revolution alive.
On #WorldPressFreedomDay, we remember and learn from those who must flee their country to speak the truth, those who often publish their work under pseudonyms or through ghostwriters to avoid repression, those who continue exposing the truth under great risks and threats to their lives.
📖 Read the full story. Link in bio.
✍️ Written by Mostafa Amin
Illustration by Yorgos Konstantinou
#Egypt #PressFreedom #YouTubeResistance #Exile #DemocracyPlaybook #Activism #Freedom #UnbiasTheNews
What we stand for
We are part of a global movement, joining forces across borders towards a more equitable and inclusive world of journalism.
Join our mission!
We are a feminist newsroom, seeking to actively fight against the perpetuation of racist, sexist or ableist stereotypes. Your donation supports journalists facing structural barriers in the field.