With support from Guardian readers, we can make the 2020s the decade of hope – The Guardian

If a week is a long time in politics, then the past decade has been a lifetime in the media world literally in some cases.

The 2010s will be remembered for many things: protest, austerity, populism, mass migration, Brexit. But perhaps one of the most dangerous developments in this most difficult of decades has been the revolution in the way we produce, share and disseminate information.

Our media how it is produced, financed and distributed has been turned upside down. And as we enter the 2020s, the implications of this are clear for all to see: competing versions of the truth; liars and confabulators winning high office across the world; polarisation and antagonism; deep fakes, rumours, confusion; the evaporation of trust.

Ten years ago, the traditional media ecosystem was still just about intact. Several rapid technological developments atomised it. The proliferation of smartphones ate away at the print model we had always used, and many newspapers local and national were forced to shut up shop. People stopped paying for news. Meanwhile, the seemingly unstoppable rise of social media produced rival platforms that would quickly suck advertising billions away from news providers.

The resultant financial penury meant many titles turned to billionaires, sheikhs or oligarchs for a lifeline. Social medias growing power also meant that those with resources and reach could shape their own message, however dishonest, rather than rely on traditional media as a channel.

It was this perfect storm that you, our growing community of 1 million-plus supporters, helped us weather. We saw that factual, honest reporting had never been so in jeopardy, or so essential. We knew it would be hard but we chose a different approach to sustainability.

We remain determined to retain our editorial independence and keep our journalism open to everyone, regardless of who they are or what they can afford. We knew that so many of our readers shared this same value. So we asked you to contribute voluntarily, for the benefit of those who cannot. Remarkably, it worked.

Thanks to you, our supporters in 180 countries, we have been able to retain proper editorial independence at a time when the world urgently needs unbiased, trustworthy sources of information.

Thanks to you, we have been able to produce groundbreaking journalism that challenges those in authority, and gives voice to those who arent. In the past decade, we have exposed the mistreatment of the Windrush generation, helped fight global corruption with our Panama Papers investigation, won a Pulitzer prize for our work with the whistleblower Edward Snowden into the actions of the NSA, and revealed the way election campaigns are skewed in the digital age with the Cambridge Analytica files. Just last month, our climate pledge demonstrated our determination to show leadership in environmental journalism and commit to steps we will take organisationally to become greener and more ethical.

Thanks to you, we have succeeded in positioning ourselves as a leading voice on the most critical issues facing the world today: the environment, nativism, fairness, social justice, inequality. With your support, we can continue to produce the journalism we know means so much and makes such a huge difference in the world. We rely on your support for our future.

In 2019, we announced that after years of financial uncertainty in this most challenging of media climates, the Guardian broke even. It was a tremendous moment for all those who have worked on these stories, and for our supporters around the world who played a key part in making our journalism possible. Thank you so much. There is a good chance that, together, we can dare to hope for a better world.

As 2020 unfolds, we ask for your ongoing support. If you are able to, please consider supporting us today with a contribution of any size. Each and every one makes a big difference to our future.

Happy new year, from all of us at the Guardian.

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With support from Guardian readers, we can make the 2020s the decade of hope - The Guardian