What sets Phoenix Media Co-operative apart from most media outlets is that we have a radically democratic structure.
We’re not one person or one personality, using personal popularity to make money, boost profiles, or set up book-writing contracts. We are the collective spirit of resistance; we are a movement for permanent collective power – not for a temporary achievement of compromises or crumbs of justice. There can be no lasting peace until there is full justice. Our enemies play dirty and have the strength and resources to keep us constantly on our feet; but we’ll learn, adapt, and keep fighting for collective consciousness and real, meaningful democracy.
We are a member of the Independent Media Association; and in March 2022, we won the title of “International Reporting of the Year” at the Independent Media Awards.
Why do we need radical, worker-owned media?
The richest 1% now owns almost half of all our planet’s wealth, and we’re staring a climate catastrophe in the face. But the corporate media only serves to uphold this status quo, when the world urgently needs change.
We want a radically different present and future that’s based on justice, equality, freedom, and sustainability for humanity and the planet.
We seek to provide bold, accurate, accessible journalism which is unashamedly internationalist and subversive. To help build a new world, we aim to play a key part in revolutionising the media by:
- functioning as a radically democratic workplace owned equally by all its worker-members, who make decisions together with no bosses and receive the same rate of pay;
- amplifying the voices of people who are socially excluded, marginalised or oppressed, and of people who are resisting and organising (via workers’ movements and co-operatives, for example);
- firmly opposing the concentration of power in the hands of a privileged few in politics, the economy, and the media;
- resisting self-interested wars of aggression waged by imperialist powers and their corporate allies.
Our co-operative mission
Our journalism is like our organisation: innovative, principled, trustworthy, and democratic.
We are committed to media democratisation, which is key to forging truly democratic politics and economies. And by creating a work structure where all our members have the same amount of power, we show that actions are just as important as words.
We seek to join forces and collaborate with others. One big example of this is our What’s Happening newsletter collaboration with Real Media co-operative.
We seek to facilitate learning, facilitate the development of consciousness, and facilitate organisation, resistance and unity.
We’re not just a media outlet; we’re a mission.
The team
At the moment, we’re volunteering our time. If you can, please support us so we can survive and grow.
Our current worker-members include Ed Sykes, Glen Black, John Ranson, Leila Taleb, Lyndon Mukasa, Rasika Sittamparam, and Slava Zilber.
Most of us currently live in the UK but, unlike many other media outlets, we’re not London-based.