The leftwing news outlet the Canary is having a rough year, and not just because it's a news outlet in 2024. Staff fear the site won't survive past December, and they're not being paid on time - which tends to dampen morale faster than a bad headline.

The site, founded in 2015 during the Jeremy Corbyn surge, seemed poised for greatness after a multimillion-pound cash injection last year. But July brought a plot twist: Lloyds Bank blocked access to 'a substantial amount' of its money, without explanation. The bank, apparently, had better things to do than provide reasons. Staff weren't paid then, and again at the end of August. A spokesperson blamed 'ongoing debanking issues,' but some journalists suspect the banking drama is a convenient distraction from deeper financial mismanagement.

Sources claim the funding - thought to be over £2 million - was squandered on a short-lived newspaper and the purchase of other websites. With about 50 full-time and part-time jobs on the line, staff have unionised under the National Union of Journalists (NUJ). A full staff meeting revealed the funding was nearly gone, with just £400,000 left to limp through December. Pension contributions have also been late, prompting a report from Nest, the government-backed pension scheme. Because nothing says 'we care' like late pension payments.

Tensions rose further when staff were asked to sign 'non-negotiable' non-disclosure agreements in the spring, with threats of contract changes if they refused. Chief executive Steve Topple warned in May of 'reputational risk' and said he expected 'the full force of the system' to come down on them. Dramatic? Maybe. But the site's own staff had 'overthrown' management in 2022 to run as a cooperative - a structure later dissolved.

There was hope when Cecil Hetherington, founder of Used Cars NI and chair of PropertyPal, invested an estimated £2 million. But as one worker put it, 'We were told originally that Steve had taken on a donation from Cecil Hetherington, but then the debanking happened and things changed.' The website even went down at one point because basic bills weren't paid. That's not the kind of 'digital disruption' they teach in journalism school.

The NUJ says it's working with members and management to ensure stability. Topple, meanwhile, apologised for 'mistakes in our internal communications' and asked for privacy to address concerns. Because nothing says 'open and transparent' like asking everyone to stop talking.

So, the Canary may not survive the year - a fittingly chaotic end for a site that thrived on controversy. But hey, at least the staff can write about it. If they get paid, that is.