Happy 18th birthday rabble!

Happy birthday to us!

Eighteen years old may make us an elder in Internet years, but rabble has proudly kept our rebellious streak going and we are celebrating! rabble.ca was born on April 18, 2001, on the eve of the Summit of the Americas, and we’ve been at the frontlines of grassroots journalism since then.

Thanks to every single one of you, who continue to help us amplify the work of social movements by supporting our non-profit journalism financially.

Founded by the likes of community activists, grassroots journalists and progressive organizations, rabble has been at the forefront of bringing fresh tools to online news throughout our history — including the first to host an online discussion forum (babble), hosting and producing podcasts (since 2005!) along with live coverage of political actions before they were commonplace — and we continue to bring a unique perspective to the Canadian media landscape.

Where else can you find a labour beat reporter, the latest activist toolkit, and alternative news from Parliament Hill, all in one place? We continue to add voices to our site, including award-winning journalist Antonia Zerbisias whose column Broadsides can now be found at rabble.

The good news is that we are here to stay! As the media climate continues to change around us and as the Canadian political climate seems anything but stable, we’re here to provide the pressing progressive perspective, and a space for the voices underrepresented in mainstream dialogue.

What makes us confident rabble can keep going and growing? Quite simply, our reader-funded model. We have always been a community-supported media site without paywalls or limits to content access regardless of ability to pay. A community of mobilized readers, across the country, chipping in one by one has created a lasting and important media space, accessible to all. It doesn’t get much better than that!

But we still need you and we can’t stop now. As we turn 18, please support rabble as we continue to carve a space for independent, progressive, non-profit media.

The gift of media democracy is a great birthday present to us (and to grassroots movements).

Join in celebrating rabble’s birthday!  Presents welcome! We’d love for you to donate at least a month’s cost of your newspaper subscription, cable, satellite, mobile or Internet costs for rabble to continue to bring progressive news front and centre

Yours truly,

All of the rabble staff

Please consider supporting our work with a monthly donation.  Support rabble.ca today for as little as $1 per month!