Independent, artisanal media | Dispatches features the media and opinions of Canadian freelancer Bramwell Ryan.
Practices
There are some bedrock principles and ways of doing business around here that are non-negotiable… and timeless:
- the creation and distribution of high quality, first-generation editorial content for all platforms; it’s media that doesn’t feel canned
- innovation and rut avoidance – Bram has an infectious curiosity and that is reflected in the compelling and eclectic content. Bram is interested in a wide range of subjects and is dedicated to exploring them
- creative uses of technology
- flexibility
Beliefs
Every media creator operates according to certain values, whether they are recognized as such or not. At Dispatches this is what guides media production:
- integrity – none of the editorial is sponsored and it’s never ad copy gussied-up to look like straight editorial
- accuracy and fair play… these aren’t just platitudes; they mean a lot around here
- the conviction that advertising is an important form of communication. However a healthy distance between editorial and advertising is vital for the integrity of both.
- high ethical standards
- the belief that objectivity is over rated and content creators have to get beyond he-said-she-said and the view from nowhere. That doesn’t mean throwing standards to the wind at Dispatches. But what it does mean is that this site tries to position itself as a trusted source of news, opinion and context. This is done by emulating the sharing that goes on between friends. When any of us meet someone we know in a coffee shop what follows is a blend of fact, gossip, ideas, history and bias. We seek out these encounters because they keep us plugged into the communities we value. We don’t look to them for their impartiality and arid devotion to a false sense of balance. Rather, we want these conversations because they deal with topics we find interesting and valuable, and during them we know whom we are dealing with, where they’re coming from and what aspects of what they say we hold to be true. At Dispatches, Bram endeavours to be the friend on the other side of the coffee shop table – a welcomed part of the day engaging in the pithy, interesting, funny and important things of life. Transparency is the new objectivity: while this phrase is trite, it does capture a sense of Dispatches’ approach to content creation. In summary, Bram strives to produce copy/media that is as excellent, nuanced and opinionated as The Economist.