What has The Ferret been up to in November? Online misogyny, conferences, and more

This week, we officially closed our reader survey, and we’re thrilled to share that 209 of you took the time to share your thoughts and ideas about The Ferret. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed!

Our team is now ferreting through your responses, and we’ll share the results early next year, along with the actions we’ll take based on your feedback.

But while we look ahead, let’s reflect on the impact we’ve had over the past month.

We sparked debate

On Thursday, The Ferret hosted a panel discussion on the rise of online misogyny, chaired by equality campaigner and researcher Talat Yaqoob. The discussion explored how harmful attitudes are spreading through digital platforms, their impact on young men and women in Scotland, and how these issues can be tackled.

The panel featured:

• Lisa Sugiura, Associate professor in cybercrime and gender at the University of Portsmouth.
• Clare Duffy, playwright and founder of Civic Digits Theatre Company.
• Iain Corbett, youth worker and participation advisor at Strathclyde University’s Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice.
• Katie Horsburgh, policy and practice officer for children and young people at Zero Tolerance.

If you missed it, don’t worry — we’ll release the discussion as a podcast episode soon.

To learn more about the topic, you can also read this article we published in October.

We inspired other media professionals

In November, Ferret co-editor Karin Goodwin and journalist Paul Dobson represented us at the Media van Morgen conference in the Netherlands. They shared how we engage audiences in innovative ways — through our community newsroom and reader-inclusive board structure — capturing attention from international media professionals.

Karin also featured in an InPublishing article (pictured below), exploring how independent journalism like ours is driving change and fostering resilience in the media landscape.

Our stories made some noise

Last month, Ferret co-founder Rob Edwards revealed that the United States government has established its first military site in Scotland since the 1990s, raising questions about its geopolitical implications. The investigation, featured in The Times and The Scottish Sun, explored potential risks under a future Trump administration.

Meanwhile, Rob’s story on radioactive pollution at Coulport was followed up by The National, amplifying awareness of the issue.

Shaping the conversation

Rob also participated in a panel at the annual Holyrood Events conference, discussing the future of Freedom of Information (FOI). The discussion emphasised the importance of transparency and the challenges FOI faces in a changing political and media environment.