New Delhi: A publication set up to cover Muslim life in the UK and Europe is set to close after its UAE-based backers decided to withdraw funding, a move that could cost around 18 journalists and contributors their jobs.
Launched in 2022, Hyphen covered the politics, culture, business, faith and everyday experiences of Muslim communities in Britain and Europe. Its parent company, Link Media, which also runs the online publication Arabian Gulf Business Insight, said its UAE-based parent company would stop funding the website from 2027, citing a “strategic realignment during a difficult economic period”.
The announcement comes despite Hyphen building a reputation for ambitious reporting and investigations into issues affecting Muslim communities. Its editor, Burhan Wazir, previously worked for The Observer, The Times and Al Jazeera.
Funding withdrawal puts jobs at risk
In a statement, Link Media chief executive Martin Newland, a former editor of The Daily Telegraph, said the company regretted having to consult staff on redundancy proposals.
Newland said Hyphen had been established four years ago to cover “the social, economic and cultural issues and opportunities surrounding integration of Muslim communities in the UK and Europe”.
The publication had “won awards and become embedded in discussion at all levels of society” on the issue, he added, thanking staff for their “professionalism and dedication”.
Investigations and award-winning journalism
Hyphen’s final weeks have underscored the public-interest reporting it sought to pursue. On Tuesday, it reported that MPs had opened an inquiry into security around mosques, following Hyphen’s reportage on the issue.
The publication was also shortlisted for a British Journalism Award in 2025 that included an investigation into a Wiltshire woman’s struggle for justice within the Muslim community after becoming a victim of domestic violence.
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Beyond breaking news
Hyphen also sought to broaden coverage beyond breaking news and investigations.
Its weekly podcast, Hyphenated, examined Muslim life in Britain and Europe through politics, culture, lifestyle and opinion.
For Muslim communities, Hyphen occupied a relatively rare space in British media: a publication that treated Muslim life as a beat in its own right, rather than limiting coverage to extremism, discrimination or security concerns.
(Edited by Maryam Hassan)
Funding agencies should reassess whom they are funding. It is always an encouraging trait