Mary Fitzgerald
@maryftz.bsky.social
Executive Director, CommsHub, Meliore Foundation. @avaaz (trustee), @prospectmagazine.co.uk (editorial board). Formerly @open-society, @opendemocracy.net. ‘Does the woman reviewing the newspapers own a hairbrush?'
Pinned
Mary Fitzgerald
@maryftz.bsky.social
· Mar 5
AI is the media's chance to reinvent itself
AI threatens today’s news industry—and with it, our shared reality. But it could also radically transform journalism for the better
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk
As AI upends everything, do we want journalism delivered by Elon Musk (or Melon Tusk, as my 8 year old calls him)?
Or, can we do better?
Me & Dave Caswell on why the BBC & others must step up. We need a public service revolution now. Before it's too late
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/media/...
Or, can we do better?
Me & Dave Caswell on why the BBC & others must step up. We need a public service revolution now. Before it's too late
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/media/...
First Boris. Now Tony…
🔴 NEW: Larry Ellison’s £257m bet on Tony Blair
Our investigation with @lighthousereports.com reveals how the Tony Blair Institute has been accused of pushing the interests of tech tycoon Ellison — Trump’s “CEO of everything” — and his company Oracle
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/inside-the...
Our investigation with @lighthousereports.com reveals how the Tony Blair Institute has been accused of pushing the interests of tech tycoon Ellison — Trump’s “CEO of everything” — and his company Oracle
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/inside-the...
Inside the Tony Blair Institute
A former PM, Trump's 'CEO of everything' and NHS data - what could go wrong?
democracyforsale.substack.com
September 24, 2025 at 12:59 PM
First Boris. Now Tony…
Reposted by Mary Fitzgerald
Democracy for Sale has been working w/ @38degrees.bsky.social on a campaign to cap political donations in the UK.
Our petition is now at over 49,700 signatures!! 🎉
Can we get it to 50k and send a really strong message?
Please share! Ta you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/ta...
Our petition is now at over 49,700 signatures!! 🎉
Can we get it to 50k and send a really strong message?
Please share! Ta you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/ta...
Take Big Money Out of Our Politics
British politics is awash with money from super rich donors. In 2023, two-thirds of all private donations came from just 19 people. These so-called ‘mega donors’ enjoy privileged access to political p...
you.38degrees.org.uk
August 19, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Democracy for Sale has been working w/ @38degrees.bsky.social on a campaign to cap political donations in the UK.
Our petition is now at over 49,700 signatures!! 🎉
Can we get it to 50k and send a really strong message?
Please share! Ta you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/ta...
Our petition is now at over 49,700 signatures!! 🎉
Can we get it to 50k and send a really strong message?
Please share! Ta you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/ta...
Reposted by Mary Fitzgerald
A comprehensive comms success.
May 12, 2025 at 9:19 PM
A comprehensive comms success.
Excited to be back in gorgeous Perugia for #ijf25
Come hear how creative media leaders are growing high-impact businesses despite the odds… in places with hostile governments & and where most foreign funding is banned 🔥
www.journalismfestival.com/programme/20...
Come hear how creative media leaders are growing high-impact businesses despite the odds… in places with hostile governments & and where most foreign funding is banned 🔥
www.journalismfestival.com/programme/20...
How to grow thriving media businesses in the toughest circumstances
Making enough money to grow and sustain good journalism is tough everywhere. But in places where governments and their proxies come after you for what you publish, where most foreign grant funding is ...
www.journalismfestival.com
April 10, 2025 at 6:42 AM
Excited to be back in gorgeous Perugia for #ijf25
Come hear how creative media leaders are growing high-impact businesses despite the odds… in places with hostile governments & and where most foreign funding is banned 🔥
www.journalismfestival.com/programme/20...
Come hear how creative media leaders are growing high-impact businesses despite the odds… in places with hostile governments & and where most foreign funding is banned 🔥
www.journalismfestival.com/programme/20...
Reposted by Mary Fitzgerald
The Department of Government Efficiency, for example
April 1, 2025 at 2:48 PM
The Department of Government Efficiency, for example
Reposted by Mary Fitzgerald
🚨 A secretive policing unit has been instructing forces across the UK withhold information, track journalists, and rescind previously approved FOI responses.
@jennacorderoy.bsky.social 's debut on Democracy for Sale - and it's a banger
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/democracy-...
@jennacorderoy.bsky.social 's debut on Democracy for Sale - and it's a banger
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/democracy-...
Democracy for Sale journalists targeted by secretive police unit
A little-known policing unit is instructing forces to withhold information, track journalists, and rescind previously approved FOI responses.
democracyforsale.substack.com
March 6, 2025 at 9:27 AM
🚨 A secretive policing unit has been instructing forces across the UK withhold information, track journalists, and rescind previously approved FOI responses.
@jennacorderoy.bsky.social 's debut on Democracy for Sale - and it's a banger
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/democracy-...
@jennacorderoy.bsky.social 's debut on Democracy for Sale - and it's a banger
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/democracy-...
As AI upends everything, do we want journalism delivered by Elon Musk (or Melon Tusk, as my 8 year old calls him)?
Or, can we do better?
Me & Dave Caswell on why the BBC & others must step up. We need a public service revolution now. Before it's too late
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/media/...
Or, can we do better?
Me & Dave Caswell on why the BBC & others must step up. We need a public service revolution now. Before it's too late
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/media/...
AI is the media's chance to reinvent itself
AI threatens today’s news industry—and with it, our shared reality. But it could also radically transform journalism for the better
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk
March 5, 2025 at 12:18 PM
As AI upends everything, do we want journalism delivered by Elon Musk (or Melon Tusk, as my 8 year old calls him)?
Or, can we do better?
Me & Dave Caswell on why the BBC & others must step up. We need a public service revolution now. Before it's too late
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/media/...
Or, can we do better?
Me & Dave Caswell on why the BBC & others must step up. We need a public service revolution now. Before it's too late
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/media/...
Reposted by Mary Fitzgerald
We're raising cash for 100 Palestinian families for @shelterbox.bsky.social. It's a minuscule amount but better than ignoring Gaza.
Join us. Fund us Repost. I need your help to get to £44k target. Thanks!
www.eventbookings.com/b/event/the-...
@claraandersson.bsky.social @doctoroxford.bsky.social
Join us. Fund us Repost. I need your help to get to £44k target. Thanks!
www.eventbookings.com/b/event/the-...
@claraandersson.bsky.social @doctoroxford.bsky.social
The Convention - An evening for Gaza In aid of Shelter Box
Join us for an evening of music and readings in aid of the nearly two million Palestinians who have lost their homes in the war in Gaza.
The humanitarian need is unprecedented. With a ceasefire now in...
www.eventbookings.com
February 16, 2025 at 9:12 PM
We're raising cash for 100 Palestinian families for @shelterbox.bsky.social. It's a minuscule amount but better than ignoring Gaza.
Join us. Fund us Repost. I need your help to get to £44k target. Thanks!
www.eventbookings.com/b/event/the-...
@claraandersson.bsky.social @doctoroxford.bsky.social
Join us. Fund us Repost. I need your help to get to £44k target. Thanks!
www.eventbookings.com/b/event/the-...
@claraandersson.bsky.social @doctoroxford.bsky.social
SO proud to have supported @financialtimes.com's Democracy 2024 series, produced by the brilliant @julietriddell.bsky.social, now nominated for the RTS Journalism Award ❤️
Comes on the back of a slew of other nominations & awards for these beautiful films from women around the world: osf.to/3Q60KDe
Comes on the back of a slew of other nominations & awards for these beautiful films from women around the world: osf.to/3Q60KDe
Letter from the editor: a testing year for democracy
As record numbers go to the polls in 2024, the FT launches a debate on what’s at stake with short films by four renowned artists
osf.to
February 10, 2025 at 11:49 AM
SO proud to have supported @financialtimes.com's Democracy 2024 series, produced by the brilliant @julietriddell.bsky.social, now nominated for the RTS Journalism Award ❤️
Comes on the back of a slew of other nominations & awards for these beautiful films from women around the world: osf.to/3Q60KDe
Comes on the back of a slew of other nominations & awards for these beautiful films from women around the world: osf.to/3Q60KDe
'Putin has been trying to kill independent media for God knows how many years now. Ironically the country that has this free speech is now about to give [it] the death blow'
www.ft.com/content/10b6...
www.ft.com/content/10b6...
Strongmen celebrate as Trump aid freeze hits media
Independent outlets in former Soviet Union are poised to be hurt by temporary shut down at key US agency
www.ft.com
February 7, 2025 at 10:54 AM
'Putin has been trying to kill independent media for God knows how many years now. Ironically the country that has this free speech is now about to give [it] the death blow'
www.ft.com/content/10b6...
www.ft.com/content/10b6...
Money for public-interest journalism!
Are you a media outlet based in Hungary, Poland, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Croatia - or do you know others who are?
Please spread this call
widely… 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
civitates-eu.org/funding-oppo...
Are you a media outlet based in Hungary, Poland, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Croatia - or do you know others who are?
Please spread this call
widely… 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
civitates-eu.org/funding-oppo...
Call for Proposals: Strengthening independent public interest journalism in Europe - Civitates
Open call to support independent public-interest media outlets in Europe.
civitates-eu.org
January 31, 2025 at 10:56 AM
Money for public-interest journalism!
Are you a media outlet based in Hungary, Poland, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Croatia - or do you know others who are?
Please spread this call
widely… 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
civitates-eu.org/funding-oppo...
Are you a media outlet based in Hungary, Poland, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Croatia - or do you know others who are?
Please spread this call
widely… 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
civitates-eu.org/funding-oppo...
'But he seemed like such a nice chap...'?
BREAKING on Democracy for Sale today:
How Putin's mercenary chief made a mockery of Britain's legal system.
And how it will happen again, and again, and again until Keir Starmer's government acts on #SLAPPS
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/uk-law-fir...
BREAKING on Democracy for Sale today:
How Putin's mercenary chief made a mockery of Britain's legal system.
And how it will happen again, and again, and again until Keir Starmer's government acts on #SLAPPS
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/uk-law-fir...
UK law firm that acted for Putin’s warlord Prigozhin 'broke no rules'
Exclusive: Taking cash from a sanctioned Russian mercenary chief to enable him to sue a British journalist is not an abuse of our legal system, solicitors' regulator finds
democracyforsale.substack.com
January 28, 2025 at 4:08 PM
'But he seemed like such a nice chap...'?
BREAKING on Democracy for Sale today:
How Putin's mercenary chief made a mockery of Britain's legal system.
And how it will happen again, and again, and again until Keir Starmer's government acts on #SLAPPS
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/uk-law-fir...
BREAKING on Democracy for Sale today:
How Putin's mercenary chief made a mockery of Britain's legal system.
And how it will happen again, and again, and again until Keir Starmer's government acts on #SLAPPS
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/uk-law-fir...
Zuckerberg claims he's canning Meta's factchecking program to stop politicised censorship (ie. to make friendly with Trump).
But what's really driving this move?
Clue: It's all about the money, money, money...
www.niemanlab.org/2025/01/zuck...
But what's really driving this move?
Clue: It's all about the money, money, money...
www.niemanlab.org/2025/01/zuck...
Let’s fact-check Mark Zuckerberg’s fact-checking announcement
Zuckerberg didn’t mention that a big chunk of the content fact-checkers have been flagging is not political speech, but the low-quality spammy clickbait that Meta platforms have commodified.
www.niemanlab.org
January 10, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Zuckerberg claims he's canning Meta's factchecking program to stop politicised censorship (ie. to make friendly with Trump).
But what's really driving this move?
Clue: It's all about the money, money, money...
www.niemanlab.org/2025/01/zuck...
But what's really driving this move?
Clue: It's all about the money, money, money...
www.niemanlab.org/2025/01/zuck...
Reposted by Mary Fitzgerald
ALL 144 Facebook content moderators assessed by a psychiatrist in Kenya have PTSD because of their work moderating content for Facebook.
Let that sink in.
www.theguardian.com/media/2024/d...
Let that sink in.
www.theguardian.com/media/2024/d...
More than 140 Kenya Facebook moderators diagnosed with severe PTSD
Exclusive: Diagnoses part of lawsuit being brought against parent company Meta and outsourcer Samasource Kenya
www.theguardian.com
December 19, 2024 at 9:12 AM
ALL 144 Facebook content moderators assessed by a psychiatrist in Kenya have PTSD because of their work moderating content for Facebook.
Let that sink in.
www.theguardian.com/media/2024/d...
Let that sink in.
www.theguardian.com/media/2024/d...
Reposted by Mary Fitzgerald
🚨 We're hiring!
TBIJ is looking for a diligent and detail-oriented fact-checker to join our team next year
Contract: 12-month fixed term (with the possibility of an extension)
Salary: £37,000–£40,000
Location: London office/hybrid working
Deadline: 3 January 2025
Apply 👇
TBIJ is looking for a diligent and detail-oriented fact-checker to join our team next year
Contract: 12-month fixed term (with the possibility of an extension)
Salary: £37,000–£40,000
Location: London office/hybrid working
Deadline: 3 January 2025
Apply 👇
We’re hiring! Apply to be our Fact-Checker
www.thebureauinvestigates.com
December 17, 2024 at 10:46 AM
🚨 We're hiring!
TBIJ is looking for a diligent and detail-oriented fact-checker to join our team next year
Contract: 12-month fixed term (with the possibility of an extension)
Salary: £37,000–£40,000
Location: London office/hybrid working
Deadline: 3 January 2025
Apply 👇
TBIJ is looking for a diligent and detail-oriented fact-checker to join our team next year
Contract: 12-month fixed term (with the possibility of an extension)
Salary: £37,000–£40,000
Location: London office/hybrid working
Deadline: 3 January 2025
Apply 👇
Reposted by Mary Fitzgerald
BREAKING: TBIJ and the Guardian are unmasking a Briton who helped manage hundreds of millions of pounds allegedly looted from the Syrian people
The Briton worked on behalf of Rifaat al-Assad, uncle of Bashar and a man known as the “butcher of Hama”
The Briton worked on behalf of Rifaat al-Assad, uncle of Bashar and a man known as the “butcher of Hama”
‘Butcher of Hama’: Assad’s uncle used Guernsey fund manager to stash…
Ginette Blondel worked without a licence or oversight for alleged war criminal Rifaat al-Assad
www.thebureauinvestigates.com
December 16, 2024 at 3:42 PM
BREAKING: TBIJ and the Guardian are unmasking a Briton who helped manage hundreds of millions of pounds allegedly looted from the Syrian people
The Briton worked on behalf of Rifaat al-Assad, uncle of Bashar and a man known as the “butcher of Hama”
The Briton worked on behalf of Rifaat al-Assad, uncle of Bashar and a man known as the “butcher of Hama”
So pleased to see @tbij.bsky.social's & @theguardian.com excellent reporting on the Abramovich empire win @pressgazette.co.uk award. Hugely deserved 👏
www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2023...
www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2023...
December 13, 2024 at 9:55 AM
So pleased to see @tbij.bsky.social's & @theguardian.com excellent reporting on the Abramovich empire win @pressgazette.co.uk award. Hugely deserved 👏
www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2023...
www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2023...
Reposted by Mary Fitzgerald
Worried about #ElonMusk buying his way into UK politics? Think we need to take money out of our democracy?
Help #DemocracyForSale's people-powered plan to #SafeguardDemocracy by taking this short survey: democracyforsale.co.uk/safeguard Please share. Thanks!
Help #DemocracyForSale's people-powered plan to #SafeguardDemocracy by taking this short survey: democracyforsale.co.uk/safeguard Please share. Thanks!
Democracy For Sale
A survey into people's attitudes to the health of British politics from leading investigative journalists who write about lobbying and dark money
democracyforsale.co.uk
December 5, 2024 at 8:59 AM
Worried about #ElonMusk buying his way into UK politics? Think we need to take money out of our democracy?
Help #DemocracyForSale's people-powered plan to #SafeguardDemocracy by taking this short survey: democracyforsale.co.uk/safeguard Please share. Thanks!
Help #DemocracyForSale's people-powered plan to #SafeguardDemocracy by taking this short survey: democracyforsale.co.uk/safeguard Please share. Thanks!