Evgeny Lebedev: Independent to launch new campaigning website

The chairman of the Independent and Evening Standard announced today that the company will be launching a new website "in the next few weeks", which will aim to be the "home of liberal fundamentalism campaigning".

Evgeny Lebedev told the Financial Times' digital media conference in London today that the new site, which will be called "Independent Voices" will enable visitors to the site "to have a voice" and share in opinion and debates on issues.

He said that the site will be supported by advertising and will be focused in the UK "for now", but that it will "definitely have an international focus".

He declined to go into further details about how the site will be staffed ahead of an official announcement.

Appearing on a panel at the conference about the future of digital journalism and news, Lebedev also spoke about ethical issues currently facing the industry.

He said he was "very proud to say my journalists and editors have always behaved ethically" under his leadership.

"I am very confident on the ethics of journalists' behaviour and as a business model we can sustain ethical journalism for years to come."