Today’s the day. The soft launch period is over.
Zeteo UK is officially here.
And, frankly, it couldn’t come soon enough.
Trust in the British media has been collapsing. And can you blame the British people?
On some of the biggest moral and political questions of our time – racism, the rise of the far right and fascism, genocide in Gaza, the climate crisis – too much of our media has failed to hold power to account.
More often than not, they have looked away. Amplified the talking points of the rich and powerful. Given a platform to hatemongers and extremists. Treated politics as a game, a performance, a horse race, while real people pay the price.
That is why independent media matters. That’s why we are launching Zeteo UK.
We’re not here to join the British media establishment. We’re here to disrupt it.
And I couldn’t be more excited about the very special team of writers, reporters and columnists we’ve brought together for this launch.
We have brand-new shows from Shehab Khan (‘The Real Question’) and Sangita Myska (‘Sangita Meets…’) – two brilliant, high-profile broadcasters who know how to ask the questions others won’t.
And we have an extraordinary roster of thought-provoking columnists: Owen Jones, Afua Hirsch, Grace Blakeley and Peter Oborne.
Different voices. Different perspectives. But one shared determination: to challenge power rather than cozy up to it.
When we launched Zeteo in the United States, we wanted to prove that independent journalism could be fearless and unapologetic – but also have a real impact on the people in power and on the public at large. We have done that, and then some, winning multiple media awards along the way!
Now we want to bring that same energy, ambition, and, above all else, impact to the UK.
Because the British media desperately needs disrupting.
And the good news is: it already is being disrupted.
People are ignoring the old gatekeepers. They’re challenging the lazy narratives they’ve been fed for so long. And they’re looking for journalists they can actually trust – journalists willing to speak truth to power and call out racism, authoritarianism, war crimes, climate denial and hypocrisy without fear or favour.
Zeteo UK is ready to be part of that change.
But here’s the thing: independent media is only truly independent if it is supported by you.
We need our subscribers. We need you.
Your financial support allows us to take risks. It enables us to challenge powerful people and institutions. It emboldens us to commission deep-dive investigations and risky reporting and give outspoken journalists the platform they deserve. Our goal is to build something genuinely different from a mainstream media that has let so many of us down for so long.
So today, I’m asking you to join us on this journey.
Watch our new shows, yes. Read our new columnists, please. But above all else, share Zeteo UK with your friends and family; tell people about what we’re building; and support us as paid subscribers. (Our annual plan works out to just £5 a month! A great deal, right?)
Tonight we kick off with a massive launch event at the Barbican in London, where Shehab and I will be interviewing Zack Polanski, the Green Party leader, onstage in front of a live audience of over 1,000 people. If you’d like to watch the video livestream of our launch from 7pm BST this evening, make sure you’re a paid subscriber and head to zeteo.uk for access.
But this is only day one. We’ve already shown what Zeteo can do in the United States. Now it’s time to make our mark in the United Kingdom.
The British media needs disrupting. Together, we can disrupt it – and create something new, innovative and honest.
I am so excited to share the launch of Zeteo UK with you all.
Let’s get to work.
Mehdi
P.S. If you’re currently a Zeteo UK subscriber but want to get content from Zeteo in the United States too, consider upgrading to our bundle option.
I'm really enjoying following Zeteo UK. Its a breath of fresh air. Please don't forget to include in your list of topics the animal genocide that happens daily. The innocent animals that are exploited every day also need a voice through our media. Its a huge politcial topic. The mass media turns a blind eye and pretends that this animal genocide doesn't exist. We need to be talking about the exploitation animals as well as humans. We all share the same Earth. Thank you.
All success to you Zeteo!