What, no article today?
I’m afraid not.
Why?
Because we’re celebrating. Yesterday marked a year since Dispatch launched, so we thought we’d take a moment to review things.
But it’s Thursday. I want an article.
Well, sorry. Normal service resumes next week. And anyway, you’re just a rhetorical device I’m using to structure this post. It doesn’t really matter what you want.
That’s… quite rude.
…
Fine. I’ll play along. How are things going?
Pretty well, thank you for asking. We’re publishing agenda-setting stories from across the world every week. We’ve motored well past our subscriber goal (without operating on Substack), and our work is increasingly being picked up elsewhere.
“Picked up elsewhere” sounds suspiciously vague.
Other outlets follow up our reporting — and sometimes republish it.
Such as?
Oh, you know. The Times, the BBC, The Guardian, Longreads, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Columbia Journalism Review…
What about The Daily Star?
We’re still waiting on The Star. You can’t have everything.
Disappointing.
Deeply.
Anything else you’d like to brag about while we’re here?
Since you ask: we were also nominated for a British Journalism Award.
Alright, that’s enough chest-thumping. Tell me about the stories. Do you have a favourite?
I couldn’t possibly say.
Oh come on.
I really couldn’t. Part of the reason I think Dispatch is striking a chord is because of the range of stories we publish.
Go on then — impress me.
In the space of three weeks last month, we reported from a domestic abuse court in Glasgow, a Pokémon expo in London, bomb-scarred Tehran, and a warehouse in Milton Keynes that broadcasts Babestation.
Or just look at the map below. Each pin is a Dispatch story from the past year — a story that didn’t exist until one of our writers knocked on a door or picked up the phone.
Ok, that’s pretty impressive. But there's still a lot of empty space on that map.
Exactly. Which is why the focus this year is simple: more stories.
Like what?
I’m not ruining the surprise. But we have some cracking pieces in the pipeline — starting next week with a beautifully crafted world exclusive.
And beyond that?
Let’s see where the next few years take us. More ambitious reporting, certainly — but also expanding what Dispatch is. Video, events, schools outreach, audio, maybe even the occasional print edition.
If this kind of reported journalism matters, it should reach people in as many ways as possible. I wouldn’t rule anything out.
And who’s going to do all that? You and me?
Not quite — though admittedly, Dispatch is still a very small operation.
How small?
I’m the only full-time member of staff, supported by two part-time editorial assistants — Fin Carter and Perdie Hibbins — and three excellent contributing editors: Jack Burke and Miles Ellingham in the UK, and Rachel Dec in the US.
You should’ve asked one of them to do this interview.
I wouldn’t put them through it.
Fair. Alright — let’s talk money. How are things going there?
Also not bad. We’re keeping our heads above water. We’ve received some support from a number of generous donors and publications that reprint our articles, but we’re also deeply reliant on paid subscriptions.
And where does that money go?
As you’ll see from the chart below, almost everything goes straight towards paying our writers and photographers. Overheads are minimal. We don’t even have an office.
So basically, nearly all the money goes into the journalism?
Yes. We are, after all, a magazine.
If people have read this far, they either love what you’re doing or absolutely hate it. Let’s assume it’s the former. What can they do to help?
Well — and I say this reluctantly — we could do with a bit more money.
There it is. I knew you were using me.
I’m sorry.
Go on then. Make your pitch.
I’ll be brief. If you’re reading this and you’re not yet a paid subscriber, I think you should be.
Over the past year, Dispatch has shown what a new media company — with a bit of grit and a lot of ambition — can do.
At the very least, we’d like to keep doing the same: two pieces a week, published from the same battered keyboard I’m typing this on, in concert with a brilliant network of writers around the world.
But that’s the baseline. There’s so much more we could be doing, and we need your support to make it happen.
Sigh. Go on — tell them about the deal.
For one week only, we’re offering 50% off a full year of Dispatch. That's £37.50 — less than 40p a story — for unlimited access to every article.
We’re also offering six months for half price, or £3.75 a month. It's not quite as good a deal over 12 months, but we wanted to give people the option.
Did you say an annual subscription is less than 40p a story?
Hardly anything, really.
And just to be clear — this isn’t a belated April Fool’s?
No. Just like when we launched on April 1, 2025, this is not joke.
We've got a busy year ahead, and I can't wait to share it with you.