The Nerve is a fearless, female-founded media title set up by a collective of five former Guardian and Observer journalists who believe that the UK needs more truly independent journalism.
They met at the Observer’s flagship weekend culture supplement, the New Review – they are senior editors Sarah Donaldson, Jane Ferguson and Imogen Carter, creative director Lynsey Irvine and Carole Cadwalladr, investigative journalist, press freedom advocate and scourge of extreme Brexiteers.
Their beat is culture, politics and tech. They believe culture – made by humans for humans – is the best guide to understanding our increasingly chaotic world. So they’re putting it first. They will cover culture in its broadest sense – the arts, books, games, food – and how tech is dramatically altering our politics and our lives. They also promise to bring some joy. They will celebrate the best culture that lifts our spirits.
The seeds of the Nerve were sown while Guardian News & Media was in the process of giving away our publication – the Observer, the world’s oldest Sunday paper – to Tortoise Media. They thought about the kind of journalism that we desperately need now: independent, transparent, inclusive and fearless. So they decided to launch a title that the journalists themselves will own, that will promote diverse voices, and that they hope will have a deep and genuine connection with its members.
Journalism is expensive and they need your support. You may be familiar with one of their previous projects – they are the team behind the 2018 Cambridge Analytica investigation that shifted the world’s understanding of Silicon Valley. They’re now at a critical moment – big tech and the far right have merged – and your support to enable them to continue these investigations is vital. They are not having a paywall – they want their journalism to be open. Instead they will be funded by members. Please consider signing up here.
They have big ambitions but they’re starting small – with two batches of stories a week delivered to your inbox via their newsletter and published on their beta site. Every Tuesday you’ll receive their weekday newsletter and on Fridays their weekend edition. With your help, they hope to expand fast, with regular events, a biannual magazine launching in 2026, hard hitting investigations and a rollout of audio and video content.