Our Values
We don’t pretend to be objective
We believe true media objectivity is unattainable and that it’s dangerous to pretend otherwise. Each of us is born into a certain environment, a certain family, a certain socioeconomic status, and a certain country with its historical and political context. All these factors influence our worldview, without us realizing it, and can’t simply be set aside.
Our reporters come from all over the world, so we avoid describing events solely from one country´s point of view, as is often the case with national media. Instead, we offer multiple perspectives, though none of them can be labeled as “neutral”.
Just like you, our reporters are human beings, with their own opinions, sympathies, aversions, and beliefs. And we don’t pretend otherwise!
Our reporters always make sure to clearly indicate their positions on the topics they cover. Each of us also has a short bio in the ‘Our Reporters’ section, where you can read about our national, educational, and cultural backgrounds—in other words, our biases.
We are young, and doing journalism for young people
Most media is owned by older men, and in the majority of newsrooms, it’s again older people (still mostly men) holding the power, deciding what topics should be covered and how. Meanwhile, young people, starting their media careers, are typically placed in less important positions, expected to “work their way up” to gain the visibility and trust of their older colleagues. This “working their way up” almost exclusively means setting aside the style and topics typical of their age and instead mimicking lingo and topic choices of (oftentimes a generation) older people.
As a result, media content is created from only one perspective, catering to an older audience. For younger people, such content is often irrelevant and difficult to process, so they naturally don’t seek it out – which feeds the myth that young people “don’t care about politics.”
In IR media, we don’t force people in their twenties to cosplay 40-years-olds. We don’t criticize them for their lack of experience, for not knowing certain “basic facts,” or for the idealism that naturally comes with their age. Instead, we let them choose topics that genuinely interest them and cover them in a way appropriate to their age.
We Provide Context
To really understand why something happened/is happening, we usually need to know decades of context leading up to it. The media should provide us with that context. Unfortunately, it’s often not the case. Many media simply describe events without interlinking them. They falsely assume people have some “common knowledge”, and that certain events and facts are so basic that they can go unexplained.
As an outcome, people start to perceive historical events as mere dates on a calendar, rather than results of some broader processes: We all know the term “World War I,” but how many of us can explain HOW and WHY it unfolded?
At IR Media, we believe that quality reporting should not require prior knowledge from our audience. Regardless of how “basic” the topic may seem, we always cover it in a way that’s easy to understand for anyone encountering it for the first time.
We are interested even in things that don't directly affect us
Because we empathize with those who are impacted and because we know it’s too late to start caring once we are affected.
We Are Feminist
In the 21st century, there are still countries where women don’t have the same rights as men. At the same time, even in supposedly “emancipated” societies, people often subconsciously perceive the same act differently whether it´s done by a woman or by a man.
In journalism, female reporters face prejudice and unequal treatment on a daily basis. Respondents confronted by a woman often resort to patronizing or demeaning tone (in extreme cases even to insults or threats of sexual violence)—behaviors they wouldn´t display toward a male journalist.
While a junior male journalist can network with an older colleague without concern, a junior female journalist has to wonder not only whether the older colleague’s intentions are purely professional, but also how others might interpret her presence alongside him.
This is just a small glimpse into the different reality women experience, not only in journalism but also in other fields, including politics and international relations.
At IR Media, we see this as a serious issue and believe it’s our duty to address it. We also find it essential that current and future members of our team do not contribute to deepening this problem.
We Are Free
We believe that free access to information is a basic human right, not a privilege our followers should pay for. We reject the paywall culture; the entirety of our content is available for free. If you’d like to support us financially, you can buy our merch or contribute to our crowdfunding campaign.
For those with limited financial resources, we offer an option to contribute by completing small tasks—such as sharing your tips for useful apps or websites with us, helping with research and content preparation, or searching for illustrative images. You can learn more about this support option HERE.