Mission Statement

DISPATCHES focuses on the most critical subjects of our time. Each issue reaches beyond the simple what and who to the more crucial: why and what can be done. Our writers and photographers go to the heart of reality to report what they see without commercial constraints or editorial pressures.

Timelier than books yet more comprehensive than magazines, these reports are meant not only for professional world watchers but also citizens who want to make a difference and students who must deal with crises they inherit. They are rooted solidly in the journalistic tenets of integrity, credibility, and accountability. At the same time, a contemporary design and innovative delivery aims for a wide appeal.

With DISPATCHES and special reports, we offer an independent look at challenges facing an imperiled world. Multimedia projects, a Website, and seminars encourage interactive debate. Our goal is to spark curiosity and provide factual bases to inspire discussion, protest, and change.



Early in 2008, Gary Knight, founder of the acclaimed photo agency VII, Simba Gill, and myself, Mort Rosenblum, launched DISPATCHES, a close-to-the-news quarterly for people who care about the world by writers and photographers who watch it firsthand. Our goal is to equip readers with fresh information, background context, and tools for implementing change.    

Though served by a lively Web site, Dispatches is committed to words on paper.  Google is vital, but we cannot abandon Gutenberg.  Each issue is meant to be pored over and then kept as reference.

Our target readers want more context and up-close reporting from seasoned, articulate pros to understand crises we all face. Our mix is broad, as our first issue shows: Paul Theroux, Samantha Power, John Kifner, and Muzamil Jaleel, an astute Kashmiri Muslim reporter who we joke privately is our Borat for-real.
 
For schools, we see Dispatches as the authoritative and credible briefing paper that we wished we had had as students.  It is (like I’m an unbiased source) an excellent teaching tool in journalism, international affairs, government, and global economics. 

In a longer term, we plan student workshops in Asia, Africa, and Latin America organized by Dispatches Outreach, our non-profit affiliate.

For more information and subscriptions, please visit www.rethink-dispatches.com.