Dublin Inquirer (Ireland)

Summary

The Dublin Inquirer, established in 2015 by Lois Kapila and Sam Tranum, stands as an independent, public-interest newsroom based in Dublin, Ireland. It specializes in publishing in-depth stories both online and in a monthly print edition, delving into local issues such as housing, transport, and politics. Through civic tech projects, events, and surveys, the newsroom actively involves its community.

Despite facing financial hurdles and operating with a limited staff, the Dublin Inquirer sustains its operations primarily through subscriptions, with additional support from grants allocated for specific projects.

Innovatively, the Dublin Inquirer goes beyond traditional storytelling by incorporating civic tech initiatives such as a bike collision tracker. By providing digital tools and data, the publication aims to enhance the lives of individuals within its community, showcasing a commitment to journalistic innovation and community engagement.

Name

Dublin Inquirer

Website

https://dublininquirer.com

Location / Location of coverage

Dublin City / Fingal

Size of potential audience / town region covered

592,000 people living in Dublin; 1,2 million in the wider agglomeration

Year they started publishing

2015

Language

English

Mission Statement

Dublin Inquirer is an independent, subscriber-funded newspaper serving Ireland's capital since 2015, publishing weekly online and in print monthly.

Founders

Lois Kapila, Sam Tranum

Current management team

Lois Kapila, Sam Tranum

Team

Full-time employees: 4 journalists

Part-time employees: 1 (for backoffice and admin)

Freelancers or consultants: 1 regular freelancer (covering immigration), 2-3 irregular freelancers

Volunteers: people contributing as part of single projects

Legal form of company

Private Company Limited by Shares (LTD)

Tax status

for-profit

Main products

Website, Print Edition, Newsletter; stories are seen as the product

Additional products

Audience and community reach

Facebook: 14,000

Instagram: 7,087

Mastodon: 2,800

TikTok: 511

Bluesky: 1,200

X: 20,175

Most important community engagement format

Direct collaboration for projects
Events

Revenue streams

180,000 yearly revenue, mainly from subscriptions (80%) and grants (15-20%), individual donations or sponsoring make up only a fraction of the revenue.
1,900 paying subscribers = 12,400 € / month

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