The Meteor

The Meteor, a media outlet publishing information of public interest, was one of the 10 winners of a grant from Future News Fund in 2020, which received 178 applications. The fund is a result of the Cairncross Review, which identified a "democratic deficit" due to the decline of local public interest news.

The Meteor brings an alternative media outlet to Manchester citizens, one focused on the interest of residents and aiming to amplify marginalised voices and issues under-represented or ignored by the mainstream media. Since its creation, it has published investigations that challenged local power structures and promoted social justice in Manchester.

Although it operates mainly online, it published special one-off issues. For example, it published the issue Not the Fake News in collaboration with Manchester University Migration Lab, talking to refugees in the region.

The Meteor also worked in collaboration with other independent media outlets. In 2019, the organisation was part of The Bureau of Investigative Journalism's one-year project Dying Homeless, which led to producing national statistics on homeless deaths in the UK for the first time.

Selling Manchester by the Offshore Pound is an investigative series carried out with the help of the Centre for Investigative Journalism, highlighting the rapidly growing amount of property in the city owned by overseas companies.

The Meteor is established as a media cooperative, meaning readers and supporters can own and have a say in how The Meteor is run, for as little as £1 per month. The organisation also has a community company membership, where local companies can advertise on its website and nominate a representative to participate in the processes and decisions taken by the collective.

The information in this media profile was collected through desk research. Last updated: February 2023

Source: Oasis Europe