Founded in 2018 by Rob Smith and the team at The Justice Collaborative, The Appeal came into being to offer a fresh approach to the conventional news scene. The idea sparked when the founders decided to create a platform that would cover the criminal justice system, local courts, and mass incarceration in a way they felt was lacking in mainstream media, which often relied solely on standard police press releases. Following an internal labor dispute in 2021, the original management stepped away, and the site continues to operate under the new ownership of its own staff as a worker-led non-profit organization. Today, The Appeal is run by its dedicated team of employee-journalists and is mainly focused on criminal justice and political news. They heavily cover policing, prison conditions, and legal policies, completely bypassing sports, celebrity gossip, or mainstream entertainment. They're based in the United States and have made a name for themselves among college students, law students, and advocates looking for an in-depth take on the happenings in the American legal world. One interesting fact: A unique fact about The Appeal is its incredible workplace structure. In 2021, after disagreements with the founding management, the writers and staff formed a union, effectively went on strike, and successfully relaunched the publication as a fully worker-led newsroom. This means there is no traditional corporate boss—the journalists themselves collectively own, manage, and make the major decisions for the news website today!