Are you interested in supporting independent investigative journalism in Scotland and the UK?
Are you already a fan of The Ferret and want to help it grow?
Would you like to be part of deciding our future direction as an organisation, as we head into our tenth year?
The Ferret is an award-winning Scottish not-for-profit, non-partisan investigative journalism cooperative, owned by our journalists and our readers. We strive to reflect the diverse population we serve in both our journalism and on our board and are currently looking to expand the experience and expertise on our board.
You can find out more about our current directors on our website.
If you’d like to discuss or have any questions, please get in touch with our current chair Rachel Hamada or our board secretary Jamie Mann.
Overview
The board of directors is responsible for the oversight and governance of The Ferret. It is elected at a yearly Annual General Meeting (AGM) by Ferret members – the next one is on 21 March 2025. The Ferret is a registered society regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and our journalism is independently regulated by Impress. You can view our governing document here.
We have three types of directors. You can become an independent director, a reader director if you are a Ferret member, or a journalist director if you are a working journalist.
What to expect
The board of directors meets roughly eight times per year – including the AGM – and meetings are usually held online, although sometimes can take place in Edinburgh or Glasgow. The Ferret relies on a suite of digital tools to manage day-to-day coordination and decision-making without swamping everyone with emails. If you are thinking of becoming a director, some familiarity with Google Docs and Slack would be helpful. Don’t worry if you don’t know these tools, we can provide training.
As a cooperative, we use consensus decision-making and working groups to get things done. You may be invited to form or participate in additional groups that meet independently of the board, or to collaborate on project work. The time commitment for the role should not exceed 2-3 hours per month, though there may on occasion be a busy period.
None of our directors are paid for their role – The Ferret is a not-for-profit outlet that ploughs any profit back into the work of the organisation. However, if a director is asked to get involved in a more substantial administrative or operational task, they will be paid at The Ferret’s day rate (currently £145). Reasonable expenses, such as travel costs or accessibility adaptations, incurred by directors in the course of carrying out their role, will be reimbursed.
What are the benefits of getting involved?
The Ferret punches above its weight in terms of political, social and environmental impact through its investigative journalism.
By joining us, you will:
– Become part of a genuinely innovative and different media platform that is accountable solely to its workers and members.
– Learn new skills.
– Come along to Ferret events and socials for free.
– Have access to extremely cool Ferret merch…
The Ferret’s Chair
We also welcome any interest in applying as chair or co-chair – our current chair will soon be stepping back to director level. Being a chair involves additional responsibilities, such as planning and chairing board meetings and other key meetings, ensuring legal and financial oversight, and line managing senior staff.
The chair or co-chair will be paid a stipend (£145/month on the basis of one day’s work per month) for the additional responsibilities involved. Our current chair can talk you through what is involved and a new chair or co-chairs would receive training as a matter of priority.
Creating an inclusive board
In order to promote gender balance on the board, the appointment process for journalist director posts will ensure at minimum three places for women and/or anyone identifying outside the gender binary. The same principle shall not be applied to the reader director elections as there are only three places. However, the board will consider gender balance when appointing independent directors.
The recruitment process is designed to be inclusive, and we are particularly keen to hear from people who haven’t previously been on a board – if you have doubts or questions but think you might be interested, please do get in touch with us for a chat.
We encourage applications from people from oppressed or marginalised backgrounds.
We also strive to ensure there are no barriers to application and to carrying out the role. If you do come across any barriers that we should address, please let us know.
What kind of role should I apply for?
If Yes, you can apply to be a Journalist Director. Please get in touch with our board secretary for more information. If No, read on.
Are you currently a Ferret member?
If Yes, you can apply to be a Reader Director. If No, read on.
Are you neither a journalist or a subscriber?
If Yes, you can apply to be an Independent Director. If No, we wish you all the best!
Reader Directors
A maximum of three reader directors are elected to the board each year by reader members. Reader directors take part in board decisions, may participate in committees and working groups, and, importantly, independently assess any formal complaints as part of our complaints policy. Reader directors are restricted from membership of the Editorial Committee and do not take part in editorial decision-making.
Independent Directors
Independent directors are appointed by other directors each year, after the AGM. There can be a maximum of three independent directors. This allows us to ensure that a broader range of experience and skills are represented on the board. Independent directors do not need to be paying members of the cooperative to apply, but would be expected to join if they were appointed.
To apply to be either a Reader Director or an Independent Director, you can use this form. If you would prefer to answer the questions by using audio or video, please send your recordings to info@theferret.scot with the subject line Board Application.
Should there be more candidates than places available on the board, an election will be held. If there is an election, we will not circulate your CV, but we will share a candidate statement to all members eligible to vote. The results will be announced as soon as possible following the completion of both online and offline votes.
All Independent Director candidates will be invited to an informal half hour conversation with existing directors ahead of the AGM.
Thanks for your interest.