Hi ,

We’re approaching 10 years of The Ferret — a decade of independent, investigative journalism in the public interest. 

If you're in Edinburgh, we’d love you to join us today at 2:30pm for our Annual General Meeting at Assembly Roxy. It’s a chance to reflect on what we’ve built together — and to help shape what comes next.

We’re also hosting a special panel event afterwards: Trump 2.0 — What Does It Mean for Scotland? Join us for a timely discussion on the global ripple effects of Trump’s return to power.

We hope to see you there. In the meantime, here’s a look at some of the impact our journalism is already making in 2025.

We're up for a couple of awards! 🏆

We’re pleased to share that our podcast, A place to heal: saving lives in Toronto’s toxic drug crisis, has been shortlisted for both the Amnesty Media Awards and the Scottish Press Awards.

The episode, which explores drug policy and harm reduction efforts in Toronto, is nominated in the Nations and Regions category at Amnesty, and in the Podcast of the Year category at the Scottish Press Awards.

You can listen to the episode here. 

Holding corporations accountable 🔎

Our 2022 investigation first revealed that Ithaca Energy’s parent company was on a UN blacklist of firms linked to human rights abuses in the West Bank. Last year, we uncovered that the firm had connections to a company supplying fuel to the IDF.

Now, Norwegian authorities are investigating Equinor’s partnership with Ithaca over concerns about these ties to Palestine.

Progress for care-experienced young people 🏠

Earlier this month, we reported that care leavers in Scotland were still being left homeless, despite long-standing commitments from the Scottish Government under its care review, The Promise. Our story highlighted concerns raised by the Promise Oversight Board, which called the delays "unacceptable."

Since then, we’ve heard from Oversight Board chair David Anderson, who confirmed that additional funding has been identified, and that plans to create a dedicated housing route for care leavers are set to be "unpaused."

As Anderson noted, it’s still early days, but we’ll be keeping a close eye on developments and continuing to report on what happens next.

Read the full piece here.

Calls for inquiry after our reporting ⚖️

In March, we reported on the tragic death of Jordan Burns, who died in Addiewell prison following multiple serious incidents of self-harm. The piece was part of our ongoing coverage of Scotland’s only private prison.

Since the story was published, politicians have taken notice. SNP MSP Fulton MacGregor has written to Justice Secretary Angela Constance and raised the case in the Scottish Parliament, calling for a fatal accident inquiry to be expedited. Labour’s justice spokesperson Pauline McNeill also backed calls for an investigation and said serious questions must be asked of Addiewell.

Jordan’s family have also received some encouraging news: following our coverage, their appeal for legal aid has been successful, allowing them to pursue access to key documents and continue their fight for answers.

Read the full story here.

Shining a light beyond The Ferret 🔦

Our investigations continue to be picked up by other media outlets, helping to bring important issues to wider audiences.

• The National reported on our story about an AfD politician who distributed self-defense weapons and met with far-right groups.

• Byline Times referenced our reporting on Baillie Gifford’s investment in arms firm Anduril, as part of a broader piece revealing that the UK Government is also an investor in the company.

From political movements to financial transparency, these follow-ups highlight how investigative journalism can contribute to ongoing conversations and scrutiny.

Some stories take months, even years, to see change — but that’s why The Ferret exists. We’re here for the long haul, following up on issues, exposing wrongdoing, and giving a platform to voices that might otherwise be ignored.

Your support — whether as a member, a donor, or a reader — makes this possible. Thank you for being part of our community. Together, we’re proving that independent journalism has the power to make a difference. Join us today — become a member, make a one-off donation, or subscribe to our free newsletter.

See you next month,

The Ferret team