Fair Observer

Fair Observer stands against ignorance and apathy. We have taken on the role of the fourth estate to inform and educate the public. It is not enough to know about one’s neighborhood, city or country. The destinies of over 7 billion people are increasingly intertwined. We are all global citizens and it is now time for a truly global journal. Fair Observer seeks to be that journal.

We recognize the consequential issues we face are complex. For instance, the drive for economic growth is often accompanied by increasing inequality and environmental degradation. Similarly, governments claim to need sweeping surveillance powers to protect their citizens, but critics fear this power grab makes states Orwellian. To understand such issues, we need to consider many arguments. Therefore, Fair Observer propounds a plurality of perspectives to help make sense of the world.

In our global era, we are confronting enormous challenges requiring innovative solutions. Therefore, we must question our fundamental assumptions and think in novel ways. To do so, we need exposure to new ideas, voices and narratives. The story of the world can no longer be told by self-anointed elites. This story is too big, too complex and too important to be the monopoly of any narrow group. The top-down model no longer works. The story of the world has to be told by the world itself.

What do we do?

Our focus is on issues that really matter to the world, be it environmental challenges or scientific innovations, economic trends or political developments, humanitarian crises or social movements.

We publish a unique “360°” analysis that delves deep into an issue. It places the topic in context and then elicits many views on it. Our premise is that everyone has a bias and all of us have blindsides, but when we come together, we have a better approximation of the truth.

We send our editors to organize discussions and give lectures in schools, colleges and universities around the world. In partnership with the United Nations Foundation, we have launched our first Voices of the World Program to train more than 300 young people and journalists in 6 countries.

Why do we do what we do?

We believe in freedom and fairness, diversity and debate and in challenging the status quo. We have courage in our convictions and are defined by our values, which are as follows:

1. Openness

2. Democracy

3. Plurality

4. Inquiry

5. Education

When you donate

We have achieved a great deal on less than a shoestring. We set out to focus on key issues, provide context and bring together perspectives from around the world. Today, we have more than 1,600 contributors in a crowdsourced journalism model, including a 68-year-old former prime minister in Ireland and a 16-year old student in Gaza.

For a nonprofit organization, we have done a lot—from publishing books to conducting workshops in schools. Now, we are reaching out to you for support.

The money we raise will go into hiring editors, improving our web presence and reaching out to schools around the world. We are a section 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in the US.