Sad to see TRF news disappear at a time of global need

It was with deep sadness that I learned that TRF is closing its news operations after having lost so many brilliant journalists over recent years. 

The impact of our journalism -- distributed by Reuters since 2013, as our journalists shared the same ethos and standards as Reuters correspondents -- was significant across the main issues we covered: the human impact of climate change, modern slavery, and women’s rights. This work was recognised with more than 80 awards over eight years, with stellar praise for our hard-hitting investigations into human rights.

When I took the helm of the Foundation in 2008 after Thomson acquired Reuters, the organisation was very small, with only one staff journalist, Tim Large. He was soon joined by Laurie Goering in London, who built a first-class climate change team, Nita Bhalla in India, Thin Lei Win in Thailand and Anastasia Moloney in Colombia, each of them hiring good stringers in each region. The team grew rapidly to 45 staffers led by Belinda Goldsmith, a brilliant Reuters journalist who accepted cutting her salary to join us as Editor-in-Chief. She really embodied the Trust Principles.

The Foundation also helped establish and grow the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism in Oxford, which became an essential reference point for journalists and, with the Digital News Report, the bible of newsrooms worldwide.  

We had decided very early with my board to build the Foundation on two pillars: excellent journalism to shed light on under-reported issues, and the promotion of the rule of law, that we advanced globally through TrustLaw. Launched in 2010, TrustLaw became the world’s biggest pro bono organisation, operating in 175 countries at its peak. 

In 2008, we acquired the URL Trust.org (from a shop in Texas), which allowed us to unify our initiatives under the concept of trust: TrustLaw, Trust Women, which became Trust Conference, and more. 

Trust.org was later replaced by Context under my successor, with a different editorial approach and focus. Sadly, much of the Trust.org archive was lost in that transition, a significant loss for the NGO world. 

The impact of these two pillars - information and law – has been measured every year and the Foundation grew from a £1m operation in 2008 to £15m when I retired in 2019, supported by major funders like Omidyar, the C&A Foundation and a number of law firms, complementing the TR donation of £4.5m per year.

At a time when the world is craving unbiased information and human rights are increasingly sidelined, it is sad to see this news operation disappear -- even if many journalists had already left. 

My thoughts and thanks go to each of them, past and present, as I remember moments of great achievements--and celebrations. ■