Every day, important stories are being pitched by freelance journalists around the world.

They're thoughtful. They're deeply researched. They matter.

Yet, increasingly, they're not getting published.

Not because editors don't care. Not because the reporting isn't strong. But because news organisations around the world are navigating shrinking editorial budgets, increasing financial pressures, global conflicts, rapidly evolving political landscapes, and the demands of an around-the-clock news cycle. As editors face increasingly difficult decisions about which stories they can commission, many important public-interest stories simply never reach the audiences they deserve.

At the same time, freelance journalists invest countless unpaid hours researching stories, building trusted relationships within communities, travelling, interviewing sources, and developing thoughtful pitches with no guarantee their work will ever be commissioned or published.

We cannot afford to let those stories remain untold. If we want thoughtful, independent journalism to thrive, we need new ways to support it.

That's why we're building UNTOLD.

WHY UNTOLD, AND WHY NOW?

We're living through an extraordinary convergence of crises. Political instability, climate emergencies, conflict, economic uncertainty. Newsrooms are fighting to keep up, but the sheer volume of current events is leaving less time and fewer resources for slower, deeper public-interest journalism.

At the same time, public trust in the media is fragile. Many readers feel overwhelmed by constant breaking news, sceptical of surface-level coverage, and hungry for journalism that offers context, care, accountability, and continuity.

More people than ever want to support journalism directly. They want to know where their money goes. They want transparency, fairness, and impact.

We believe it's time to build a different model.

WHAT IS UNTOLD?

UNTOLD is a new independent journalism initiative dedicated to supporting freelance journalists through fair funding, editorial mentorship, professional training, and publishing opportunities.

Our mission is simple: to help important public-interest stories reach the audiences they deserve while creating more sustainable pathways for the journalists who tell them.

We believe journalism should never be limited by who can afford to work for free.

We believe freelance journalists deserve fair compensation, professional support, and the opportunity to build sustainable careers doing the work they are passionate about.

We believe communities deserve reporting that goes beyond the headlines, explores complex issues with care, holds power to account, and, where appropriate, investigates the people, organisations, and ideas working towards meaningful solutions.

UNTOLD is not here to replace traditional media. It exists to complement it by creating opportunities for important stories when existing systems simply don't have the capacity to take them on.

WHY FREELANCE JOURNALISM MATTERS

Freelance journalists play a unique role within the media ecosystem. They have the flexibility to dedicate weeks or months to a single investigation, build trusted relationships within communities, and pursue stories that require time, persistence, and deep local knowledge.

Some report from remote communities. Others investigate issues unfolding in the middle of major cities that have simply fallen outside the focus of daily news coverage. Many choose to pursue stories because they believe they matter, despite knowing there may be no guarantee of publication.

When freelance journalism is supported, the entire media ecosystem benefits. Newsrooms gain access to original reporting, communities see their experiences represented more accurately, and audiences are exposed to stories that might otherwise never be told.

HOW YOUR SUPPORT WILL HELP

Our goal is to raise US$10,000 to launch UNTOLD's pilot programme.

Your support will help us:

Every dollar will be accounted for. No inflated salaries. No unpaid labour. No vague promises. This is a carefully considered pilot designed to demonstrate that important journalism can be funded ethically, transparently, and fairly.

WHO IS BUILDING UNTOLD AND WHY?

UNTOLD is being founded by freelance journalist Stephanie Capper.

She's spent years reporting, editing, producing, and mentoring journalists across multiple continents. She's celebrated stories that made it into print, but She's also experienced the uncertainty of freelance journalism firsthand: the unpaid pitches, the self-funded reporting trips, and the countless hours invested in stories that never quite reached publication.

She's also seen many extraordinary journalists continue this work despite those challenges because they stubbornly believe deeply in the value of independent, public-interest reporting.

UNTOLD grew from a simple belief: important stories should not go untold simply because the journalists best placed to tell them lack the support to keep telling them. We're building UNTOLD to invest in those journalists, strengthen independent reporting, and help ensure that stories with the power to inform, challenge, and inspire continue to reach the world.

If you believe those stories matter too, help us tell them.