Is novaro media independent
Executive summary
Novara Media is structurally independent from corporate shareholders and venture capital: it operates as a not-for-profit trading name of Thousand Hands Ltd and says it does not accept corporate partnerships or shareholders, relying instead on donations, memberships, merchandise and occasional grants [1] [2]. That financial and legal independence exists alongside an explicit editorial commitment to left-wing advocacy — Novara openly frames its output as politically committed and intended to feed into political action — which makes it independent in ownership but partisan by design [3] [4].
1. Legal and financial independence: a not-for-profit structure
Novara Media is a trading name of Thousand Hands Ltd, a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, and since 2019 has described itself as regulated by IMPRESS, the independent press regulator [1] [5]. The organisation states it has no shareholders and that all revenue is reinvested into journalism, listing income streams such as memberships, merchandise, YouTube ad revenue and occasional grants [2]. These facts support a conclusion that Novara is independent from traditional corporate ownership and investor pressure [1] [2].
2. Editorial independence claims and limits on sponsored influence
Novara’s own funding page emphasises a principle of maintaining editorial independence from grant awarders, asserting it does not publish sponsored content or advertorials and that editorial decisions rest with editors [2]. That public policy aligns with the legal structure (no shareholders) and is a clear institutional safeguard against direct commercial influence [2].
3. Partisanship and declared political aims: independence ≠ neutrality
Multiple sources describe Novara as explicitly left-wing or radical-left and note the outlet’s intentional political orientation; Novara itself positions its journalism as aimed at tackling “the crisis of capitalism” and shaping political debate rather than moderating between two sides [6] [5] [4]. InfluenceWatch and other profiles label it far-left and observe the outlet’s stated mission to feed into political action — a candid admission that editorial independence is exercised within an activist frame, not a neutral one [3].
4. Personalities, controversies and editorial posture
Co-founder Aaron Bastani is a public figure whose advocacy of ideas like “fully automated luxury communism” has been well documented, and Novara has courted debate and controversy through outspoken contributors such as Bastani and Ash Sarkar [7] [6]. Incidents including content disputes and platform moderation — for example a YouTube reinstatement after a wrongful takedown — illustrate that Novara’s independence as a publisher does not insulate it from platform governance or public controversy [8] [6].
5. Critiques: dependence on platforms, influence networks and perceived “alternative-ness”
Critics on the left and right question whether Novara’s growth makes it truly alternative: some argue it remains reliant on mainstream platforms and broadcast appearances to amplify its profile, and point to ties between its founders and Labour-era networks or fundraising ecosystems as complicating claims of grassroots independence [9] [10]. InfluenceWatch frames Novara as explicitly activist media, which is an ideological critique rather than a denial of its structural independence [3].
6. Synthesis and verdict: independent ownership, advocacy-oriented journalism
Evidence supports a two-part answer: Novara Media is independent in ownership and financing from traditional corporate media — legally a not-for-profit trading name of Thousand Hands Ltd with membership/donation revenue and public commitments against sponsored content [1] [2] — but it is not editorially neutral: it self-identifies as left-wing and intentionally aims to influence political action, a stance critics and watchdogs openly note [3] [6]. The organisation’s independence therefore means freedom from corporate shareholders and formal advertiser control, while its declared partisan mission and reliance on public platforms and personalities make it an advocacy outlet rather than a politically neutral newsroom [2] [3] [9].