We Nearly Lost The Exposé This Month

For periods during July, The Exposé disappeared.

Readers who tried to open our reports were met with errors. Articles could not be accessed, shared or discussed. Behind the scenes, our technical team was dealing with extremely high levels of malicious bot traffic directed at the website.

The site returned, but the disruption exposed an uncomfortable truth.

Independent journalism can disappear far more quickly than most people realise.

The Exposé does not have a wealthy corporate owner standing behind it. We do not receive government funding, and we do not have the vast technical resources available to major media organisations.

We have our readers.

That independence is what allows us to investigate powerful institutions, challenge official narratives and publish information that establishment outlets would rather ignore. But it also means that when the website comes under pressure, there is no large organisation waiting to absorb the cost.

Hosting must be paid for. Security must be strengthened. Backups must be maintained. Technical problems must be investigated, and the systems used to publish and distribute our work must be protected.

All of this comes before a single article can reach you.

Independent outlets are not guaranteed to survive

Earlier this month, another independent British publication, The Conservative Woman, announced that its traditional website could no longer continue in its existing form.

After 12 years of publishing, its editor described the effect of censorship, advertising restrictions, declining reach and insufficient regular financial support. Its writers intend to continue their work through a lower-cost platform, but the established website that readers had relied on is closing.

That should serve as a warning.

Independent publications rarely disappear because there are no important stories left to investigate. They disappear because the financial and technical pressure eventually becomes too great.

A publication may seem permanent until the day it is no longer there.

During July, The Exposé came dangerously close to showing readers what that absence would feel like. When the site was unavailable, our investigations, archives and reporting were unavailable with it.

Determination alone cannot keep a website online.

Protecting the platform protects the journalism

Every donation to The Exposé helps maintain the platform that makes our work possible.

It supports the cost of hosting, security, maintenance, research, editing, publishing and distributing our reports to readers around the world.

A one-time donation helps us respond to the immediate pressure created by this difficult month.

Monthly support gives us something equally important: a dependable foundation from which we can plan, investigate and strengthen the site for the future.

We know that not every reader is able to donate. Reading our work, sharing our reports and helping important information reach others also matters enormously.

But for those who are in a position to contribute, we are asking you to act now.

Please help us keep The Exposé online, independent and able to hold power to account.

Make a one-time donation

Become a monthly supporter

We cannot promise that there will never be another attack or another period of disruption. What we can promise is that, with sufficient reader support, we will be better prepared to withstand the pressure and continue publishing.

The events of July have shown us how vulnerable independent journalism can be.

They have also reminded us why this work must be protected.

The Exposé will continue asking the questions others will not ask. We will continue investigating, publishing and challenging institutions that expect the public to accept their claims without scrutiny.

But we cannot do it alone.

If The Exposé matters to you, please make a donation today or join us as a monthly supporter and help secure its future.

Thank you for reading, sharing and standing with us.

The Exposé

Every supporter matters. Your contribution ensures we remain independent.

Thank you for standing with us. Wishing you a strong, hopeful, and truth-filled June.