{{short description|Independent media company in Bristol, UK}} {{Use British English|date=August 2021}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}} {{Infobox newspaper | name = The Bristol Cable | logo = The Bristol Cable logo 2024.svg | image = | image_size = | caption = The ''Bristol Post'' logo | type = Website and quarterly print edition | format = | founded = 2014 | ceased_publication = | owners = Co-operative society | recent editors = | staff_writers = Approx 9<ref name=brcab-team>{{cite web |url=https://thebristolcable.org/team/ |title=Team |newspaper=The Bristol Cable |access-date=7 August 2021}}</ref> | circulation = | headquarters = Silver Street, Bristol, England | website = {{Official website|https://thebristolcable.org/}} }} '''''The Bristol Cable''''' is an independent media co-operative in Bristol, UK, founded in 2014.<ref name="huck-king">{{cite web|accessdate=2019-12-18|title=The Bristol Cable: A community-run newspaper holding power to account|url=https://www.huckmag.com/art-and-culture/print/bristol-cable-community-run-newspaper-holding-powerful-account/|date=4 May 2016|website=Huck Magazine}}</ref> It provides local news through independent investigative journalism,<ref>{{cite news|first1=John|last1=Harris|accessdate=2019-12-19|title=The Bristol conundrum: 'Gentrification is a danger – and if you're poor, you're really, really stretched'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/nov/05/bristol-conundrum-gentrification-danger-poor-really-stretched-stokes-croft-george-ferguson|newspaper=The Guardian|date=5 November 2015|issn=0261-3077|via=www.theguardian.com}}</ref> in a quarterly print publication and website, both free.<ref name="bbc-miller">{{cite web|access-date=2019-12-19|title=Journalism in the digital era: New thinking about communities and business|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/webarchive/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fblogs%2Facademy%2Fentries%2F07223d87-4fb6-496e-a9fd-a12df1b831ca|date=6 November 2017|website=BBC}}</ref><ref name="independent-sheffield">{{cite web|accessdate=2019-12-18|title=Bristol Cable: the local investigative journalism co-op training citizens to hold power to account|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/indyventure/bristol-cable-local-news-journalism-investigation-co-op-a8083496.html|date=7 December 2017|website=The Independent}}</ref> As a co-operative, ''The Bristol Cable'' is owned by its members, who pay a monthly fee.<ref name="independent-sheffield"/> The publication has a print run of 30,000 copies,<ref name="bbc-miller"/> distributed throughout the city.<ref name="guardian-harris">{{cite news|first1=John|last1=Harris|accessdate=2019-12-18|title=Bristol Cable founders: 'We're holding people to account for their actions'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jan/24/bristol-cable-newspaper-public-interest-journalism|newspaper=The Guardian|date=24 January 2016|issn=0261-3077|via=www.theguardian.com}}</ref>
''The Bristol Cable'' was founded by Alec Saelens, Adam Cantwell-Corn and Alon Aviram.<ref name="independent-sheffield"/><ref name="guardian-harris"/> It is part of the Global Investigative Journalism Network.
==History== As of December 2017 the co-op cost £1 per month to join, had 1,900 members who contributed on average £2.70 per month; and had six full-time staff.<ref name="independent-sheffield"/> Membership provides a means of funding the newspaper and gives members a say in strategic decisions about the co-op.<ref name="guardian-slawson">{{cite news|first1=Nicola|last1=Slawson|accessdate=2019-12-18|title=A new breed of co-operatives is looking to redefine local media|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2014/nov/14/a-new-breed-co-operatives-redefine-local-media-bristol-cable-sheffield-live|newspaper=The Guardian|date=14 November 2014|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
In 2019 ''The Bristol Cable'' won the ''Press Gazette'' British Journalism Award for Local Journalism, noting its five year investigation into modern day slavery by a local employer.<ref name=pg-20191210>{{cite news |url=https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/british-journalism-awards-2019-ft-wins-top-prize-for-second-year-in-triumphant-end-for-departing-editor/ |title=British Journalism Awards 2019: FT wins top prize for second year in triumphant end for departing editor |last=Mayhew |first=Freddy |newspaper=Press Gazette |date=10 December 2019 |access-date=7 August 2021}}</ref><ref name=brcab-2018>{{cite news |url=https://thebristolcable.org/category/series-icecream-slavery-case/ |title=The ice cream slavery case |newspaper=The Bristol Cable |year=2018 |access-date=7 August 2021}}</ref> In 2021 the ''Press Gazette'' again noted the investigative journalism and successful development of ''The Bristol Cable'', with membership at 2,600.<ref name=pg-20210805>{{cite news |url=https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/uk-independent-community-news-sector/ |title=Mapped: The UK's 400 independent local news titles + Lincolnite and Bristol Cable on secrets to success |last=Majid |first=Aisha |newspaper=Press Gazette |date=5 August 2021 |access-date=7 August 2021}}</ref>
==Stories broken by ''The Bristol Cable''==
''The Bristol Cable'' has broken stories on workplace abuses in the catering sector (October 2014);<ref name="huck-king"/> Bristol University's holdings in fossil fuels, which was used by people campaigning for its divestment and prompted a change by the University (June 2015);<ref name="huck-king"/><ref name="guardian-harris"/><ref name="thedrum">{{cite web|accessdate=2019-12-18|title=Community clout: how the Ferret and the Bristol Cable are leading the rise of the UK's co-operative news media|url=https://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2017/12/21/community-clout-how-the-ferret-and-the-bristol-cable-are-leading-the-rise-the-uk|website=The Drum}}</ref> ownership of property in the city by offshore companies based in tax havens (January 2016 and January 2018);<ref name="huck-king"/> the Mayor and senior council officials hiding the potential for deep well fracking from councillors and the public, to prevent disruption to the sale of Bristol Port land (May 2016);<ref name="huck-king"/><ref>{{cite news|first1=Steven|last1=Morris|accessdate=2019-12-19|title=Bristol mayoral hopefuls sling 'elite' jibes|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/may/04/bristol-mayoral-hopefuls-sling-elite-jibes|newspaper=The Guardian|date=4 May 2016|issn=0261-3077|via=www.theguardian.com}}</ref> the use by local police of mass surveillance devices, known as IMSI-catchers or Stingray phone trackers, that eavesdrop on mobile phone and other devices,<ref>{{cite news|first1=David|last1=Pegg|first2=Rob|last2=Evans|accessdate=2019-12-19|title=Controversial snooping technology 'used by at least seven police forces'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/10/controversial-phone-snooping-technology-imsi-catcher-seven-police-forces|newspaper=The Guardian|date=10 October 2016|issn=0261-3077|via=www.theguardian.com}}</ref> which became a national news story (October 2016);<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2019-12-19|title=Why police forces need to be honest about mass mobile phone surveillance|url=https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/Why-police-forces-need-to-be-honest-about-mass-mobile-phone-surveillance|website=ComputerWeekly.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Alexander J Martin 10 Oct 2016 at 14:11|accessdate=2019-12-19|title=Confirmed: UK police forces own IMSI grabbers, but keeping schtum on use|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/10/10/police_widespread_ownership_of_imsi_catchers_revealed/|website=www.theregister.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first1=Joseph|last1=Cox|access-date=2019-12-19|title=More UK Police Put Cash Down for IMSI Catchers|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/more-uk-police-put-cash-down-for-imsi-catchers/|date=30 May 2017|website=Vice}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first1=Joseph|last1=Cox|access-date=2019-12-19|title=This Company Has Sold £1 Million Worth of Cellphone-Spying Devices to UK Police|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/this-company-has-sold-pound1-million-worth-of-cellphone-spying-devices-to-uk-police/|date=2 March 2017|website=Vice}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first1=Ellen|last1=Tannam|accessdate=2019-12-19|title=UK privacy groups fight police over mobile phone spying technology|url=https://www.siliconrepublic.com/enterprise/police-imsi-catchers-spying|date=8 August 2018|website=Silicon Republic}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first1=Glyn|last1=Moody|accessdate=2019-12-19|title=Stingrays bought, quietly used by police forces across England|url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/10/stingrays-in-use-across-england-by-police/|date=11 October 2016|website=Ars Technica}}</ref> local companies' links to the arms trade (February 2017);<ref name="huck-king"/> poor working conditions (March 2017);<ref>{{cite news|accessdate=2019-12-19|title=Accused ice cream boss 'exploited staff'|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-48350932|date=23 May 2019|via=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> racial bias in Immigration Enforcement officers' stop and checks of people on the street they suspect of immigration offences (October 2017, with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism);<ref>{{cite news|first1=Damien|last1=Gayle|first2=Charles|last2=Boutaud|first3=Adam|last3=Cantwell-Corn|accessdate=2019-12-19|title=One in five stopped by immigration enforcement is a UK citizen, figures show|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/oct/08/one-in-five-stopped-by-immigration-enforcement-is-a-uk-citizen-figures-show|newspaper=The Guardian|date=8 October 2017|issn=0261-3077|via=www.theguardian.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first1=Robert|last1=Booth|first2=Adam|last2=Cantwell-Corn|accessdate=2019-12-19|title=Home Office stopped thousands of Britons for immigration checks|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/may/02/home-office-stopped-thousands-of-britons-for-immigration-checks|newspaper=The Guardian|date=1 May 2019|issn=0261-3077|via=www.theguardian.com}}</ref> and the small share of new property developments given over to affordable housing, in comparison with the official policy of Bristol City Council (March 2018).<ref name="guardian-harris"/><ref name="thedrum"/><ref>{{cite news|first1=Juliana|last1=Gilling|accessdate=2019-12-19|title='We said it wasn't acceptable': how Bristol is standing up to developers|url=https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/mar/07/bristol-housing-developers-affordable-property|newspaper=The Guardian|date=7 March 2018|issn=0261-3077|via=www.theguardian.com}}</ref>
==Other funding sources== To set up, produce its first issue, and launch citizen journalism workshops, it raised £3,300 in a crowdfunding campaign, was given £1,500 by Co-operatives UK and £1,600 by Lush.<ref name="guardian-slawson"/> In 2017 it received a grant of £40,000 from the Reva and David Logan Foundation to expand its capacity in the local community.<ref name="independent-sheffield"/><ref name="guardian-harris"/> In 2018 it received a grant of £100,000 a year for two years from the Omidyar Network.<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2019-12-19|title=The Bristol Cable secures funding to expand its approach to community-driven journalism|url=https://www.journalism.co.uk/news/the-bristol-cable-secures-funding-to-expand-its-approach-to-community-driven-journalism/s2/a717250/|date=6 February 2018|website=Journalism.co.uk}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{Official website}} *[https://issuu.com/bristolcable ''The Bristol Cable'' print edition online archive]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cable, The Bristol}} Category:News magazines published in the United Kingdom Category:British news websites Category:Quarterly magazines published in the United Kingdom Category:Newspapers published in Bristol Category:Publishing cooperatives Category:2014 establishments in England