International online newspaper
Clarity for
a changing world.
Meridian 21 is an independent, donor-funded international newspaper, launching 2026/27 from New York and Prague.
Publisher
First Editor-in-Chief
First editions
Base
From the Editor-in-Chief
A word from the Editor-in-Chief
Over the last thirty years, international media has changed – as has the world. Only, for the media the change wasn’t for the better. Journalists, once leading the way, largely became suppliers of content on demand. The tastes of consumers and the pressure of activists now dictate what is reported, what is investigated, who is criticised.
One example is the Trump presidency. The media has largely divided into a Trump-hate-club and a (much smaller) Trump-fan-club. Objective reporting on what the President really achieved, and what he really messed up, is practically impossible to find. Partisanship became the norm. We see a similar approach to almost any sensitive topic: global warming, abortion, same-sex marriage – you name it.
This is bad journalism. And it gets worse in the field of human rights.
What Meridian 21 will be
Serious news, free to read.
Meridian 21 covers international politics, business, technology, health, culture, sport, and society — with no paywall and no advertising, funded by donors through the non-profit Libera Mondo. It launches in English and Spanish, reported from New York and Prague: an American reach and a European base shaped by 1968 and 1989.
What we stand for
Liberal democracy
Meridian 21 stands for liberal democracy, individual human rights, rule of law, and press freedom.
Human rights for all
A human right violated in Beijing, Tehran, Moscow, Khartoum, Havana, Jerusalem, Prague, London, or Washington deserves the same attention.
Forgotten minorities
The newspaper will report on peoples and communities often pushed out of the global conversation, including Kurds, Yazidis, Druze, Amazigh, Baluchi, Darfuris, Uyghurs, Tibetans, and others.
No double standards
Meridian 21 rejects authoritarianism, left- and right-wing extremism, one-sided ideological agendas, religious fundamentalism, and selective concern for human rights.
Reader-protective journalism
The reader's space will be protected from third-party display advertising, programmatic placements, sponsored content, and advertorials.
Education, not flattery
The role of a serious newspaper is not to mirror what readers already believe. It is to broaden access to facts, context, and voices that change how the world is understood.
Editorial approach
Expanded access, not argument.
On contested international stories, Meridian 21 will not begin by lecturing readers. It will begin by widening the field. The newspaper will seek out voices often excluded from dominant narratives: dissidents, minority representatives, democratic activists, exiles, reformers, and people whose lives are shaped by decisions made far from them.
The aim is to let reporting do the work. Readers should be given facts, context, and sources strong enough to form their own judgment.
Publisher
Libera Mondo
Meridian 21 is published by Libera Mondo, a Prague-based non-profit human rights association. Libera Mondo means “Free World” in Esperanto. Its work is grounded in freedom, democracy, and the defense of people whose rights are ignored or excused away by more fashionable political narratives.
Libera Mondo's activities include publishing, public discussion, campus and parliamentary engagement, and its Forgotten Minorities program.
Learn more at libera-mondo.orgLeadership
David T. Abeles is the first Editor-in-Chief.
David T. Abeles is the founder and first Editor-in-Chief of Meridian 21 and a founding member of Libera Mondo z.s. His work focuses on the international information space: how authoritarian regimes, extremist movements, and disinformation networks shape public opinion, and how the voices of persecuted peoples are kept out of it.
His principal regional and topical specialization is the political and security situation in the Middle East. He also works with representatives of persecuted peoples, including Kurdish, Druze, Amazigh, Baluchi, Darfuri, Yazidi, Uyghur, and Tibetan communities.
Imprint
Public information
- Publication
- Meridian 21
- Publisher
- Libera Mondo z.s.
- Registered office
- Chudenicka 1059/30, 102 00 Praha 10, Czech Republic
- Editor-in-Chief
- David T. Abeles
- Launch
- 2026/27
- Language editions
- English and Spanish
Registration details, ISSN information, editorial contacts, corrections policy, and privacy documents will be added before publication begins.