The News Observation Project
Journalism cannot depend on permission.
The role of journalism is simple: to look at events in the world and determine what is true.
Today, that ability is increasingly controlled by governments, militaries, and private technology companies. When wars break out, ships are attacked, cities are destroyed, or populations displaced, the public must rely on whichever satellite imagery commercial providers choose to release — or suppress.
This is not sustainable.
We believe the global press must possess its own independent ability to observe the Earth from space.
Our proposal
We propose the creation of the world’s first independently governed news satellite.
A coalition of participating news organisations will fund and operate a small Earth observation satellite dedicated entirely to journalism and public accountability.
Each week, participating editorial organisations will vote on the locations and events of greatest global importance.
The satellite will then be tasked to observe those locations.
The resulting imagery will:
be shared freely among participating organisations
support investigative and verification journalism
enter the public domain after a short delay
No government. No corporation. No military. No platform monopoly.
Only editorial judgement.
Why now?
The technology already exists.
Universities around the world routinely build and operate satellites comparable in size and complexity to commercial Earth observation systems. Launch costs have fallen dramatically. Small satellites can now be deployed for a fraction of what space missions once required.
Meanwhile, the global news industry generates more than $100 billion annually.
The resources exist.
Independence matters
Commercial satellite operators already restrict imagery under political pressure.
Entire regions of the Earth can effectively disappear from public scrutiny at precisely the moments when scrutiny matters most.
If reports emerge that:
a civilian convoy has been attacked
a port has been bombed
a prison camp is expanding
a naval incident has occurred
a city has been destroyed
…journalists should not need permission from a state or corporation to verify it.
Truth should not be contingent on access granted by others.
Editorial governance
The News Observation Project will operate as an independent non-profit trust governed by participating news organisations and public-interest institutions.
All tasking decisions, governance rules, and archival policies will be transparent and publicly documented.
The mission is not activism.The mission is verification.
What we are building
Phase 1
An international consortium of news organisations pooling resources to commission and coordinate independent satellite observation.
Phase 2
The launch of a dedicated orbital journalism satellite capable of independently imaging locations of major public interest.
Phase 3
A long-term public archive of globally significant imagery freely available to journalists, researchers, historians, and the public.
The principle
The ability to observe the Earth should not belong exclusively to states, intelligence agencies, or technology monopolies.
An independent press must also possess independent infrastructure.
The printing press transformed journalism.The internet transformed journalism.Independent orbital observation is the next step.
Join us
We are seeking:
news organisations
universities
satellite engineers
investigative journalists
legal experts
philanthropic partners
public-interest technologists
to help establish the world’s first independent orbital press infrastructure.
The Earth should be observable by the public.
Not only by power.