Marking Three Years Of Baaz
Marking Three Years Of Baaz
"Baaz has become the outlet of record for the Sikh and Punjabi diaspora - an influential community of approximately two and a half million people and growing."
From the Editors
January 18, 2024 | 2.5 min. read | Editorial
There’s a lot to celebrate as we mark our third anniversary today.
Born during the height of the Farmers’ Protest in 2021, Baaz has become the outlet of record for the Sikh and Punjabi diaspora - an influential community of approximately two and a half million people and growing.
We have published about 400 articles, from viral opinion pieces to breaking investigations.
We have platformed almost 100 writers, from all corners of the world.
We have garnered millions of engagements and reads, from Australia to America.
We have been quoted and referenced by major news outlets around the globe, from CBC to Vice.
Our social media accounts have been censored in India, but yet followed by Indian government accounts, including High Commissions, in the West.
Our original reporting cannot be ignored.
All thanks to you, our readers.
[Baaz Co-Founders Jaskaran Sandhu and Harman Kandola speak about Baaz during a recording of a Basics of Sikhi podcast in London, UK]
We are a small and scrappy team. We rely on the community to not only support our work but contribute to it. Which you all have, to great effect. There really isn’t anything else out there quite like Baaz. For the community, by the community. And we are really proud of that.
Over the past three years, we have found our space. We have established a home for true narratives and reporting about our people, and we have done so by being unapologetic in our writing.
We have also done this by refusing to paywall our content. However, that does not mean we do not need your continued financial support to grow Baaz and our ability to cover our community.
It costs money to do original reporting. We have relied on freelance reporters and editors to ensure our content is world class and adheres to strict journalistic guidelines.
If you haven’t done so already, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Your sponsorship allows us to tackle big issues and pursue important topics.
We also have a bigger dream of hopefully hiring our first in-house staff reporter to ensure we have the resources to cover everything. That’s the goal for 2024. We hate letting stories slide off our desks just because we cannot find a freelancer in time to put things together.
We didn’t quite know how far Baaz would go when we began it. Would it connect with folks? Would we be able to have an impact? Would people trust us to fill the gaps in reporting our community has faced in the diaspora?
We have been honoured by the trust you have all put in us - a news start-up in a day and age when legacy media is struggling. We are truly thankful, and we look forward to another year of engaging you, our readers, with the quality work you have all now come to expect of us.
In Chardi Kala.
Baaz is home to opinions, ideas, and original reporting for the Sikh and Punjabi diaspora. Support us by subscribing. Find us on Twitter, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, and TikTok at @BaazNewsOrg. If you would like to submit a written piece for consideration, please email us at editor@baaznews.org.