Taboom’s media training, mentoring, publishing, monitoring, and response programs catalyze ethical journalism and public discourse around taboo topics. By shining light on taboos, we aim to break their power. Our global work challenges stigmas, replacing stereotypes and discrimination with accuracy and respect. We facilitate responsible media coverage to safeguard and champion vulnerable communities and to advance human rights. For more details on specific projects, read our press releases.

 

History

 

Taboom Media’s co-founders Brian Pellot and Debra Mason started collaborating to improve ethical media coverage of taboo human rights topics in 2010 at the University of Missouri’s top-ranked School of Journalism. A magazine series on religion and sexuality they produced that year won several reporting awards and marked the humble beginning of Taboom’s global reach.

Over the years, our customized training opportunities for media professionals, faith leaders, and activists have ranged from short lectures and panels in the U.K., Canada, Kosovo, Turkey, France, Spain, Indonesia, Belgium, Austria, Ghana, Madagascar, and Azerbaijan to week-long workshops in the U.S., Italy, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Malawi, South Africa, Myanmar, and online. We have trained, mentored, and edited hundreds of journalists from dozens of countries, elevating human rights topics in local and international media around the world. 

Our work is made possible thanks to generous support from the Arcus Foundation, the Gill Foundation, the Palette Fund, Out in Tech, Google, the U.K. Foreign & Commonwealth Office, the British Council, the National Endowment for Democracy, Heinrich Böll Stiftung Southern Africa, the Global Investigative Journalism Network, Investigative Reporters and Editors, the European Journalism Centre, the International Center for Journalists, GLAAD, and more. If you are interested in collaborating or would like to support our work, please get in touch.