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Unmasking Misinformation: Journalist’s Quest for Verified Truth (International Edition)

The Journalists as Fact Checkers workshop, organised by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Africa for the Womentorship Champions, recently, was an unexpected catalyst for my growth as a female human rights defender. It effortlessly merged with my duties as both a journalist and an advocate, highlighting how journalism serves as a crucial act of service against misinformation. In Zimbabwe, where confirming straightforward facts such as fatality counts from road accidents can be difficult because of restricted access to data, fact-checking goes beyond being just part of one’s job; it transforms into a nuanced but important mode of defiance. One powerful takeaway was learning about “lateral reading,” which pushed me to go deeper than just skimming content and succumbing to click temptations. This change in mindset has provided me with a persistent critical outlook, examining each headline through the meticulous gaze of an investigator. Rather than taking information at ...
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Ask Us Anything: Our 2025 Mini Countryman SE Is Here!

The $51,145 crossover comes with a round display and has an estimated range of up to 212 miles per charge.

Many people enjoy disliking Mini for various reasons. While some criticisms may be valid, the post-2003 Cooper is often celebrated as a nimble performance car yet criticized as problematic to own. Enthusiasts have longed for improvements in its reliability. Although Mini made progress in this area, they primarily concentrated on diversifying their lineup with models like the somewhat larger Countryman—a compact SUV that has borne the brunt of Mini’s quality issues ever since it was launched in 2010.

“That ain’t no Mini, why are they building a bland crossover?” asked every automotive enthusiast for the past 15 years.

In 2025, the Countryman returns and is larger than ever before. The gas-powered S is back, but we're focused on the all-electric SE. I’m not going to make excuses for the car’s size and how it low-key runs counter to the ethos of the Mini brand. But I do think the conversation is a little tired in this context. The Countryman is a component of BMW Group's strategy to vie for dominance in the international electric vehicle market. It also marks the start of a renaissance for Mini itself, which has suffered from faltering sales and questions as to where it fits in both BMW's strategy and the market as a whole.

Photo by: Kevin Williams/InsideEVs

Underneath, the Countryman SE is a compact electric crossover about the same size as the BMW X1. Power comes from a dual-motor setup with 308 horsepower going to all four wheels, fed by a relatively small 64.6 kWh (usable) battery. This car has an EPA-rated range of 212 miles. To get a Countryman SE just like the one I’ve got for the next week, expect to pay $51,145.

On paper, these numbers sound a little milquetoast. Over the next week I aim to find out if the Countryman SE is more than the sum of its parts. This car also features Mini’s new UI complete with a circular OLED screen. I want to know, is this any good? Or should Mini give up now?

Photo by: Kevin Williams/InsideEVs

What would you like to know about the 2025 Mini Countryman SE? Tell us in the comments, or feel free to send me an e-mail at kevin.williams@insideevs.com .

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