Independence at our core
At a time when trust in media is low, our commitment to rigorous, fact-led journalism is unwavering. At the core of everything we do is our independence, underpinned by our editorial culture and robust governance structure. For 179 years we have championed free markets, open societies and individual liberties as the foundation on which human progress thrives. Their defence is as relevant as ever.
Our founding mission
Published since September 1843 to take part “in a severe contest between intelligence, which presses forward, and an unworthy, timid ignorance obstructing our progress.”
“Editorial’s only fealty is to the facts and our founding mission. In an era of fake news and political polarisation, that independence is a precious asset.”
Zanny Minton Beddoes
Editor-in-chief, The Economist
Product overview
At The Economist, we are clear about what makes us stand out: timely provision of insight and context; quality, not quantity; rigour and wit. Our journalism is now flourishing on our apps, website, social media, and in podcasts and videos, alongside our weekly print edition. Economist films has over 2.3m subscribers on YouTube; our podcasts attract more than 4m listeners a month; our social-media channels have 58.6m followers.
App
Wherever and whenever you need, our app offers instant mobile access to our digital world. It includes the weekly edition, articles from 1843 magazine and The World Ahead. It also gives you handy access to our best digital-only articles, our favourite business, finance, political and cultural stories, and our daily pick of newsy charts and explainers.
“The world this week” highlights the week’s biggest news across politics and business. Our Leaders offer fact-based opinion pieces on events shaping the global agenda, and the Today section summarises the best of our journalism each day. For those who want more in-depth coverage, our briefings and special reports provide rigorous research and analysis on global topics spanning politics, science and technology, and business and finance.
Website
Economist.com goes beyond our daily and weekly coverage of world events, with powerful tools and features. Subscribers can give articles as gifts to non-subscribers, attend subscriber-only webinars and select newsletters to suit specific interests. Economist.com offers our full range of analysis, including all our latest special reports, data journalism, podcasts, films and audio versions. It also hosts our news hubs, which curate our analysis on salient topics.
Podcasts
The Economist’s podcasts bring our global audiences thought-provoking, entertaining analysis of the world’s most important developments. From news and finance to culture and technology, our podcasts are designed for those with hungry minds and little time. Our podcast portfolio features:
Films
The Economist films
The Economist films department creates mind-stretching videos that examine big global themes. Each one combines analysis, on-the-ground reporting and a dash of humour to capture the essence of The Economist in video.
Newsletters
Our newsletters get straight to the heart of global issues in a way that is convenient and tailored to our audience’s interests. Our readers can choose from a range of newsletters, including how we put together our weekly cover, the best of our data journalism, and topics from climate change to American politics.
Special issues
The Economist’s special issues offer authoritative, in-depth coverage of a wealth of subjects in various formats. They include The World Ahead, our future-gazing franchise with an annual predictions supplement and provocative “what if?” scenarios. Our special reports, produced throughout the year, dive deep into a range of topics from global climate change and sustainability to the limits of artificial intelligence.
Technology Quarterly reports from the frontiers of science and technology to bring advanced understanding and expert analysis to the latest technological developments. Essays, in-depth explorations of a single subject, reflect on a range of themes from the inner lives of animals to the history of Ukraine's relationship with Russia. Alternatively, a more leisurely read exploring first-person accounts and stories with heart can be savoured in 1843 magazine, home of our long-read features and first-person narratives.
The Economist's data-journalism department produces some of the world's most distinctive journalism. From visually striking daily charts and the weekly immersive Graphic detail section to world-class interactive products, such as the covid risk estimator, global excess-deaths model and forecasts for major elections, the team helps subscribers understand the world through empirical, data-driven analysis.