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Public funding for arms firms is under fresh scrutiny at Holyrood,  after years of reporting by The Ferret.

On 3 September, the Scottish Government announced it will pause new grants to defence companies supplying countries where there is “plausible evidence of genocide” — including Israel. The move came after Amnesty International raised concerns about payments to firms linked to Israel’s military, and after our investigations revealed that companies including Raytheon, Leonardo, and Thales have received at least £2.74m in public money since 2022.

This kind of sustained scrutiny is only possible thanks to our members and the kind of independent journalism you help support.

Read on for more of the ripple effects of our work.

On Scotland Tonight 📺

This month, our co-editor Karin Goodwin appeared on Scotland Tonight to discuss two urgent issues in Scotland: Scotland’s latest drug death figures and the Scottish Government’s new housing bill.

In the segment, she called for a more holistic approach to tackling the drugs crisis — one that goes beyond statistics to consider the wider social and policy factors driving harm. She also spoke about the structural challenges facing renters and the need for stronger protections as part of the housing bill.

Teaching young people to spot disinformation 🧑‍💻

A new media literacy project led by The Ferret, in partnership with CILIPS Scotland and Young Scot, has been highlighted by Ofcom in its latest Making Sense of Media bulletin.

The initiative will train librarians and young people across Scotland to identify and challenge disinformation online, with sessions designed alongside young people themselves. Experts from our fact-checking arm, Ferret Fact Service, will help develop tailored resources and workshops.

It’s part of our wider commitment to equipping communities with the tools they need to navigate today’s information landscape and we’re pleased to see this work recognised at a UK level.

Our reporting is making noise 🔊

Ferret investigations are continuing to ripple across other media outlets and public conversation.

This month, The Guardian twice cited our investigations — first in an article on flying of the saltire in Scotland amidst anti-migrant protests, and again in a piece examining public funding for arms firms in Scotland. Our reporting on microplastics in coastal waters — which revealed contamination in 80 per cent of tested sites — was referenced by The Skinny, while our work on the salmon farming industry was picked up in the specialist journal Aquaculture.

Meanwhile, an older Ferret investigation into the National Trust for Scotland’s sale of an island was resurfaced by the London Evening Standard, showing how our journalism continues to inform debate long after publication.

What’s next?

As we mark 10 years of digging deep, we’re not slowing down. From far-right movements to climate policy, lobbying to land reform, we’ll keep investigating what matters, without fear or favour.

But we can’t do it without you. If you value fearless, independent journalism, now’s the perfect time to support our next chapter. You can join The Ferret from just £5 a month, make a one-off donation, or simply share this newsletter with a friend.

And if you’re near Glasgow, we’d love to see you at our 10th birthday party on 13 November. Come celebrate a decade of independent journalism.

Thank you.

Yours,

The Ferret team