The Conversation
A nonprofit network that turns academic research and expert knowledge into accessible journalism for the public.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
The Conversation is an international nonprofit media network whose articles are written principally by university academics and researchers and edited by professional journalists. Its central proposition is that public discussion benefits when subject-matter experts explain research, evidence, and current affairs directly to a broad audience, while experienced editors improve clarity, context, and news relevance. The resulting format is often described as explanatory journalism or a hybrid of science communication, public-interest journalism, and research dissemination. The project originated in Australia. Andrew Jaspan developed the concept after discussing university engagement with the public with Glyn Davis, then vice-chancellor of the University of Melbourne. Jaspan imagined the university as a kind of large newsroom in which researchers could contribute informed analysis of major news and public-policy questions. With support from the University of Melbourne, Jaspan and Jack Rejtman developed the operating model, identity, and funding case before launching the Australian website in March 2011. Early institutional support came from four Australian universities, CSIRO, the Victorian and Australian governments, and Commonwealth Bank. The network's publishing model is distinctive. Contributors are normally required to have a formal connection with an accredited university or research institution and to write within their area of expertise. Editors work with authors to make specialist material understandable without removing its evidentiary basis. Authors generally review edited copy, disclose relevant conflicts of interest, and publish under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives licence, enabling other media organizations to republish articles with attribution. Images can carry separate copyright conditions. The site also publishes fact-checking work, including pieces subject to academic review, and has emphasized transparency regarding funding, sources, methods, and corrections. The Conversation expanded through locally governed editions rather than a single conventional commercial newsroom. A United Kingdom edition launched in 2013, followed by the United States in 2014, Africa and France in 2015, Canada, Indonesia, and New Zealand in 2017, Spain in 2018, and European and Brazilian initiatives in 2024. Editions generally have their own editorial leadership, advisory structures, institutional partners, and funding arrangements while participating in the wider network. The African edition developed offices and contributors in several countries; the Indonesian edition created a foundation and later added training and partnership programs; the Canadian edition also introduced a French-language service. Funding is drawn from a mixture of university partnerships, university systems, government and research grants, philanthropic foundations, corporate partners, and reader donations. This nonprofit structure allows articles to remain free to read and widely reusable, but it also makes institutional fundraising and editorial independence important governance questions. The network does not operate like a conventional subscription newspaper or advertising-led publisher. Instead, it treats journalism as a public-service extension of research and higher education. The Conversation's reach is substantially larger than its owned websites because stories are regularly republished by newspapers, broadcasters, specialist publications, and other digital outlets. Reference material reported a monthly audience of more than ten million users on its own sites in 2019 and a combined reach of roughly forty million when republication was included; later descriptions have stated that commissioned stories were republished internationally in many countries and languages. Its readership has generally extended well beyond academia. The brand's distinctive position is therefore built on credibility, accessibility, open licensing, and a bridge between universities and the general public rather than on celebrity writers, breaking-news exclusivity, or paid access.
History
The Conversation began as an Australian response to a perceived gap between academic expertise and public discussion. In 2009, journalist Andrew Jaspan discussed university engagement with Glyn Davis, vice-chancellor of the University of Melbourne. Jaspan proposed treating the university as a large newsroom in which researchers could explain significant events, policy debates, and discoveries to the public. The University of Melbourne supported a period of incubation, during which Jaspan and Jack Rejtman refined the brand, editorial approach, and nonprofit funding model. They presented the plan to prospective partners in 2010 and secured early backing from universities, CSIRO, the Victorian and Australian governments, and Commonwealth Bank. The Australian site launched in March 2011. The editorial model combined academic authorship with newsroom editing. Researchers were expected to write within their expertise and normally to maintain a formal affiliation with an accredited institution. Editors translated specialist language into accessible prose, checked structure and evidence, and worked with authors through revisions. Authors were able to review edited drafts, while conflict-of-interest disclosures and attribution were built into the publishing process. Articles were generally released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives licence, which made them available for free reading and republication without allowing altered versions to be presented as the original work. The organization expanded internationally through separate editions with their own editors, advisory bodies, and funding relationships. The UK edition launched in May 2013 after a seed-funding and partnership effort led by Jaspan and supported by universities and research organizations. The US edition launched in October 2014 from Boston University, with philanthropic support and later offices or partnerships in other American locations. African and French editions followed in 2015. Canada, Indonesia, and New Zealand joined the network in 2017, Spain in 2018, and additional European and Brazilian activity was reported in 2024. Several national operations developed specialized institutional structures. The African edition was based in Johannesburg and built relationships with universities in South Africa and other African countries, with offices or activity in Kenya, Senegal, Nigeria, South Africa, and Ghana. The Indonesian operation was incorporated as The Conversation Indonesia Foundation in September 2017 and published its first articles shortly afterward. It combined journalism with science-communication training and researcher-development initiatives. The Canadian service, co-founded by journalism academics Alfred Hermida and Mary Lynn Young, launched in 2017 and later added a French-language edition. Governance has also been a point of change. In 2016, the network's fact-checking unit received accreditation from the International Fact-Checking Network, recognizing standards related to impartiality, transparency, sourcing, methodology, and corrections. In 2017, founder Andrew Jaspan resigned as executive director and editor after a period of enforced leave and reported internal objections to aspects of his management and global strategy. The organization continued through its distributed network of editions and institutional partnerships. The Conversation's economics differ from those of a conventional commercial news publisher. National entities are supported by combinations of university contributions, government and research funding, philanthropic grants, corporate partnerships, and reader donations. This structure supports free access and open republication but requires continuing fundraising and careful separation between funders and editorial decisions. In return, partner institutions gain a channel for researchers to communicate beyond scholarly journals and specialist conferences. Its technology has supported collaboration between authors and editors. The network has used a publishing and content-management system built in Ruby on Rails, including author profiles, disclosure information, engagement dashboards, and real-time editorial workflows. This infrastructure complements the brand's mission: the publication is not simply a university press office, but an editorial service that places researchers inside a journalistic production process. The network's influence comes partly from syndication. Articles have been republished by major newspapers, broadcasters, and digital publications, allowing a relatively small nonprofit newsroom to reach readers far beyond its owned websites. Coverage spans politics, society, health, science, technology, the environment, education, economics, and culture. By the late 2010s, the readership was predominantly non-academic, demonstrating that the model could move research-based explanation into mainstream public conversation. The continuing identity of The Conversation is therefore based on open, expert-led, edited journalism rather than on a traditional daily newspaper, commercial magazine, or academic journal.
- 2024
The Conversation Local launches
[1]The US network introduced a local-news initiative in four American markets with Knight Foundation support.
- 2018
Spanish edition reported
[1]The network expanded into Spain.
- 2017
Canadian and Indonesian operations launch
[1]The network added editions in Canada and Indonesia.
- 2017
Andrew Jaspan leaves executive leadership
[1]The co-founder resigned as executive director and editor following an internal management dispute.
- 2016
Fact-checking unit receives IFCN accreditation
[1]The fact-checking operation was accredited by the International Fact-Checking Network.
- 2015
African and French editions launch
[1]The network expanded to Africa and France.
- 2014
US edition launches
[1]The US edition published its first articles on 21 October from Boston University.
- 2013
UK edition launches
[1]The first major international edition opened in the United Kingdom on 16 May.
- 2011
Australian edition launches
[1]The Conversation began publishing in Australia in March.
- 2010
Operating model and funding case prepared
[1]Jaspan and Jack Rejtman refined the brand and nonprofit model and presented it to prospective institutional supporters.
Products and positioning
Nonprofit, research-informed explanatory journalism that connects universities and accredited research institutions with the wider public. The brand emphasizes expert authorship, professional editing, transparency, open reuse, and accessible interpretation of evidence.
Digital nonprofit news · 2011
The Conversation editions
The network's national and regional websites publish research-based analysis and explanatory journalism. Academic and research contributors write about their fields, while professional editors shape the material for general readers. Editions maintain distinct content programs and leadership while sharing the wider brand's emphasis on evidence, disclosure, free access, and open republication.
Fact-checking journalism
Fact-checking
The Conversation publishes fact-checks in which academics examine claims, evidence, and public assertions. The fact-checking process has included blind academic review, and the unit's standards emphasize non-partisanship, fair treatment, transparent funding, source disclosure, methodological clarity, and corrections.
Local journalism · 2024
The Conversation Local
Launched by the US operation in 2024, The Conversation Local focuses on local-news coverage in Detroit, South Florida, Colorado, and Philadelphia. The initiative was designed to connect research-informed reporting with local outlets and was supported by the Knight Foundation.
Training and public engagement
Science communication and researcher training
Some national editions provide training and development programs that help researchers communicate with non-specialist audiences. The Indonesian operation, for example, has run science-communication training and a Science Leadership Collaborative for early-career researchers alongside its publishing work.
Controversies
2017
Andrew Jaspan management dispute and resignation
Andrew Jaspan was placed on enforced leave after complaints from senior Melbourne staff concerning his management style and the network's global direction. Leaders associated with the UK, US, and African operations reportedly expressed no confidence in his continuing active role. Jaspan resigned as executive director and editor in March 2017.
Marketing campaigns
- 2024The Conversation Local launch
Detroit · South Florida · Colorado · Philadelphia
The US operation launched a local-news-focused initiative designed to work with local outlets and bring the network's explanatory, research-informed approach into selected American communities.
Outcome. The initiative was reported to have worked with 150 local outlets during its first year.
Brand decisions
2024
Launch The Conversation LocalProduct launchBackground
The US operation identified a need for more locally focused public-interest coverage while retaining the network's explanatory and evidence-based approach.
Action taken
It opened The Conversation Local in Detroit, South Florida, Colorado, and Philadelphia with Knight Foundation funding.
Aftermath
The project expanded the brand beyond nationally oriented academic analysis and reported collaboration with 150 local outlets in its first year.
2016
Formalize fact-checking standardsStrategyBackground
The organization needed to demonstrate independence and methodological rigor in its fact-checking work.
Action taken
The fact-checking unit obtained accreditation from the International Fact-Checking Network.
Aftermath
The accreditation reinforced the network's public commitments to transparency, fairness, sourcing, and corrections.
2013
Internationalize through locally governed editionsStrategyBackground
After establishing the Australian service, the organization sought to extend its university-linked editorial model to other research and media systems.
Action taken
It launched separate editions with their own editors, advisory structures, institutional partners, and funding arrangements.
Aftermath
The network expanded across several continents and developed a substantial audience through both owned sites and republication.
2011
Adopt an open, nonprofit academic-journalism modelStrategyBackground
The founders sought to make university expertise more useful in public debate while avoiding the paywalls and commercial incentives associated with much conventional publishing.
Action taken
The Conversation combined academic authorship, professional journalistic editing, free online access, and Creative Commons licensing for republication.
Aftermath
The model became the basis for a network of independently supported national and regional editions.
Recent events
- 2024
The Conversation Local launches in four US markets[1]
Product launch
The US operation introduced a local-news initiative in Detroit, South Florida, Colorado, and Philadelphia with support from the Knight Foundation.
- 2019
The Conversation US appoints Beth Daley as editor and general manager[1]
Leadership change
Beth Daley succeeded earlier US editorial leadership as the American operation developed its newsroom and institutional partnerships.
- 2019
The Conversation reports a large combined global reach[1]
Other
The network reported more than ten million monthly users on its own sites and a much larger audience when republication was counted.
- 2018
The Conversation Canada introduces a French-language edition[1]
Product launch
A French-language Canadian service, La Conversation Canada, followed the English-language Canadian launch.
- 2017
The Conversation adds Canadian and Indonesian editions[1]
Other
The network established new national operations in Canada and Indonesia, extending its university-linked nonprofit model into North America and Southeast Asia.
- 2015
The Conversation launches editions in Africa and France[1]
Other
The network added an African edition headquartered in Johannesburg and a French edition based in Paris.
- 2014
The Conversation launches its United States edition[1]
Other
The US edition began publishing from Boston University with philanthropic and institutional backing.
- 2013
The Conversation expands to the United Kingdom[1]
Other
A UK edition launched with university and research-sector participation, establishing the first major international extension of the Australian model.
- 2011
The Conversation launches in Australia[1]
Other
The Australian website began publishing as a nonprofit platform for research-informed articles written by academics and edited by journalists.
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