When we left our roles in traditional international newsrooms to build Istorias Media we wanted to build a creative journalism lab that listens deeply to people and sparks real, tangible change in the world.

Here is what we stand for, what we refuse to do, and the promises we keep.

1. Who we work with (and who we don’t)

We believe that journalism should belong to the community. To keep our voice entirely independent, we are very intentional about our partnerships:

• Yes to collaboration: We love partnering with organisations, institutions, and funders who are genuinely trying to make society less polarised, more connected, and fairer.
• An absolute 'no' to harmful actors: We have a strict, non-negotiable rule against taking money from or working with harmful corporate or state actors. We will never compromise our integrity or let our storytelling be used as a mouthpiece for propaganda.
  
  

2. We build from the ground up

Traditional media can often be elitist. We do things differently:

• Deep audience listening: Whether it’s through listening clubs, community theatre, or direct conversations, we make sure the people at the heart of our stories are truly heard, but we don’t hide difficult truths.
• Dignity and agency: We work with underrepresented and hard-to-reach communities worldwide. We ensure they have real agency over how their lives and stories are portrayed.
• Accessibility is a right: If information is hidden behind overly complex language or elitist platforms, it isn't useful. We design our multimedia projects to be clear, creative, and open to everyone.
  
  

3. Journalistic integrity is in our DNA

Between us, we have spent decades navigating some of the toughest reporting environments in the world. We bring that rigorous background to our creative formats:

• Honesty over sensationalism: We don't chase clickbait, and we don't manipulate the facts to fit a narrative.
• The "Trojan horse" promise: We love using creative, out-of-the-box storytelling—like video games or live theatre—to make heavy topics engaging. But while our methods are highly creative, our facts are always completely accurate and rigorously verified.
  
  

4. Technology must serve a human purpose

We love tech, but only when it makes people's lives better.

• Tech for good: Any tool or digital format we build is designed with human safety, privacy, and inclusion in mind.
  
• Fighting the noise: We explicitly use our digital projects to push back against online hate speech, misinformation, and the digital polarisation that divides us.
  
  

5. We measure what matters

Most media companies measure success in clicks, views, and impressions. We don't think that's enough.

• Real-world impact: We hold ourselves accountable to a different kind of return on investment: Did we spark a meaningful dialogue? Did we help shift an attitude? Did we contribute to a less polarised society?
• Swallowing our pride: Humans make mistakes. If we get something wrong, we won't hide it. We will admit it openly, fix it quickly, and keep moving forward transparently with our audience.

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