Applications sought for non-executive directors of openDemocracy

openDemocracy is an independent international media platform. We produce high-quality journalism which challenges power, inspires change and builds leadership among groups underrepresented in the media. Headquartered in London, we have team members across four continents.

We are a mission-focused organisation, which means we always think about the impact our journalism can have. Our investigative journalism has triggered legal changes, parliamentary probes, lawsuits and criminal investigations and we also offer a rich diversity of stories and perspectives from across the world. We help voices otherwise excluded from the media to reach larger audiences, and we campaign on key stories, pushing for a more open, democratic and egalitarian world.

Our stories frequently get widely picked up by global outlets, including in the New York Times, the Financial Times, El Pais, The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, The Independent, The Guardian and the London Review of Books in the last year alone. We are also a trusted partner, co-producing investigations and documentaries with outlets including the Times and the BBC.

openDemocracy.net attracts more than 11 million visits per year, and we provide a vital space for rigorous investigative journalism and incisive analysis on the intersecting crises and issues of our time, including the return of authoritarianism, the widening economic and climate crises and the global backlash against civil rights and equalities. Over the last two years we have been nominated for (and won) multiple major awards, including the Paul Foot Award, the One World Media Awards, the Press Awards and the British Journalism Awards. In 2023 we made the shortlist for News Provider of the Year at the British Journalism Awards - the only small or nonprofit outlet on the list.

openDemocracy is seeking new non-executive directors to join our board, including a chair of our nominations committee. We are looking for people with one or more of the following qualities:

• The ability to challenge and support openDemocracy’s editorial development, particularly in relation to its investigative journalism
• An entrepreneurial approach and commercial experience that can contribute to income development and the development of a sustainable business model
• Expertise in digital transformation, reader revenue models or similar approaches, including campaigning, content and communications
• Broad expertise of organisational development and effectiveness, particularly in globally focused and not-for-profit settings.
• Knowledge or expertise in HR

We particularly welcome expressions of interest from those who have lived experience of some of the challenging issues that we report on – including discrimination, inequality, migration and minority status. Media business experience is desirable but not essential.

We operate under UK company law, although we have team members based around the world. openDemocracy is a not-for-profit company and, as an organisation in receipt of a number of grants, operates to broad charitable standards. 

The role of director is unpaid. There are four board meetings a year, including a half-day strategy session. Additionally directors are expected to take part in one sub-committee and to advise the board chair and senior management team as needed in between meetings. 

If you would like to be considered for this role, or you know anyone who fits this profile, please send an email with a CV and cover letter outlining your motivation and suitability for the role to recruitment@opendemocracy.net.