"The Coordinadora de Medios Comunitarios, Populares y Educativos de Ecuador (CORAPE) is the biggest network of community media in Ecuador, and since 2016 has been the main partner of DW Akademie in that South American country. Between 2016 and 2019 the two organizations implemented a project finance
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d by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), with the aim to strengthen the work of community media in Ecuador in the provision of access to information to vulnerable populations, especially in indigenous languages. One central line of this project was the financial sustainability or viability of community media, which has historically been one of the greatest problems for this sector. The economic viability of community media worsened during the course of the project because of economic and political changes in the country: the fall in oil prices and state restructuring made necessary by the fiscal crisis caused a drastic reduction in advertising income for community media. The project was designed with the participation of CORAPE members, leading to the definition of four focus areas of media viability (advertising; projects and entrepreneurship; partnerships and alliances; production and programming) and the agreement on a series of methodological tools. A selection of eight community media outlets, which varied in their nature, organization, and sources of financing, participated in a process of self-analysis, external consultation, and peer exchanges with the goal of finding solutions to the viability of community media. In this way, they succeeded in defining a series of processes and created specialized tools that could be applied within the network, as well as to other community media in the world. This publication is divided into three chapters. The first presents background information, justification for the project, and the methodology used. The second shows the training procedures and best practices of four of the participating community media outlets. The final chapter reflects the learning outcomes of the project by recommending eight steps and tools to help community media achieve viability." (Page 7)
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"1. En medio de la pandemia por el Covid-19 y a pesar de los lamentables decesos, del fuerte impacto económico y emocional experimentados, los medios locales no abdicaron de su responsabilidad con las audiencias incluso en aquellas zonas en las prácticamente no existe presencia de Estado. En este
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contexto, han recuperado su protagonismo y han puesto en relieve una fuerte vocación de servicio público. Han visibilizado su labor estratégica en la vida nacional.
2. El principal problema a superar por los medios locales y regionales lo constituye el problema de la sostenibilidad económica. Esperan que esta etapa de reactivación de la economía genere un retorno de la inversión publicitaria local. Dudan que el pago simbólico que reciben por la difusión de los programas del Estado sea suficiente para incluirlos en la programación de las emisoras ahora que hay apertura y reactivación económica.
3. Un malestar común señalado por los medios consultados son las dificultades para acceder a los paquetes publicitarios que se generan en la capital. Creen firmemente que los fondos publicitarios del Estado deben llegar a las localidades más remotas y evitar que se queden en manos de las agencias intermediarias.
4. El impacto económico no fue procesado de la misma manera en todos los medios. Algunos medios, una pequeña minoría, pudieron superar las dificultades económicas: aquellos que pudieron diversificar sus fuentes de recursos económicos. De acuerdo a la evidencia encontrada, una manera de apoyar a los medios locales es diversificando sus fuentes de ingresos. Esto significa que desde el Estado es posible organizar de manera más sistemática los apoyos económicos destinados a medios locales y regionales en función de las estrategias públicas de salud y educación a través de Fondos concursables.
5. Hay un tema que es más profundo y que hay que explorar e investigar con más detalle y son las condiciones de trabajo de los comunicadores locales. Muchos de los trabajadores ganan el sueldo mínimo. Las emisoras han descrito cómo tuvieron que seguir pagando el seguro, los servicios, las AFP, a costa de dejar de pagar otras obligaciones como el IGV. Lo poco que ha ingresado ha sido destinado a para pagar sueldos y servicios. Los más vulnerables son aquellos que trabajan como concesionarios de las emisoras y que en plena pandemia debieron cerrar sus programas quedando totalmente huérfanos de cualquier tipo de protección social." (Conclusiones generales, página 57)
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"La Coordinadora de Medios Comunitarios, Populares y Educativos de Ecuador (CORAPE) es la red de medios comunitarios más grande de Ecuador y desde 2016 ha sido socio principal de DW Akademie en el país sudamericano. Entre 2016 y 2019 ambas organizaciones ejecutaron un proyecto financiado por el Mi
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nisterio de Cooperación Económica y Desarrollo alemán (BMZ) cuyo objetivo era el de fortalecer los medios comunitarios de Ecuador en su labor de brindar acceso a información a poblaciones vulnerables, especialmente en lenguas indígenas. Una línea central de este proyecto fue la sostenibilidad financiera de medios comunitarios, que históricamente ha sido uno de los grandes problemas que ha enfrentado este sector. La viabilidad económica de los medios comunitarios se vio agravada durante el proyecto debido a cambios económicos y políticos en el país: la caída del precio del petróleo y la reestructuración del estado por la crisis fiscal, llevaron a una drástica reducción de los ingresos por publicidad en los medios comunitarios. El proyecto se construyó de manera participativa con miembros de la red de CORAPE. Para ello se definieron cuatro enfoques de sostenibilidad financiera (publicidad; proyectos productivos y emprendimientos; alianzas y articulaciones; producción de programas) y se acordaron una serie de herramientas metodológicas. Una selección de ocho medios comunitarios, diversos en su carácter, constitución y en sus fuentes de financiamiento, participaron en un proceso de autoanálisis, asesorías externas e intercambios entre pares con el objetivo de buscar soluciones de sostenibilidad. De esta manera se lograron definir una serie de procesos y crear herramientas especializadas que pueden ser aplicadas en otros medios de la red, así como otros medios comunitarios en el mundo. Esta publicación se divide en tres capítulos. El primero de ellos presenta los antecedentes, justificación de este proyecto, y la metodología aplicada. El segundo capítulo muestra los aprendizajes y buenas prácticas de cuatro de los medios comunitarios que participaron de este proceso. Finalmente, el último de los capítulos recomienda ocho pasos y herramientas a seguir, que son el aprendizaje de este proyecto, para que los medios comunitarios puedan alcanzar la sostenibilidad." (Página 7)
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"This book is about how to grow an independent media business, and we are perfectly aware that news publishing these days is not for the faint of heart [...] We ask: Is there a media business approach that is not primarily focused on the needs and wants of an advertiser, a funder or the journalists
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in the newsroom, but instead aims to meet the needs of all the individuals within the community served? Assuming there is, how does a news enterprise capture some of the value created for that community? We have three reasons to believe these are the right questions. First, social actors need reliable, decision-grade information and insight to thrive, and at our best, that’s exactly what we provide. Second, we are neither alone nor unique in the challenges we face – and firms in adjacent industries, confronted with similar forces, can and do succeed. Finally, in our work with hundreds of news enterprises in the US, Europe, Middle East and Asia, we have seen success stories within and outside traditional journalism. It can be done." (Introduction, page 8)
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"A quick review of the media status in Palestine indicates that the restrictions and general measures that accompanied the spread of the epidemic will lead to the suspension of many independent/private media outlets, as a result of the interruption of their main source of income, represented in the
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already scarce advertisements. This will cause a serious blow to pluralism and undermine the contexts and trends of public media coverage of various issues, at the forefront of which the controversial issues, which may pave the way for a single-opinion media in Palestine. The matter here is not only limited to the opportunities of continuity and survival from the financial challenges that independent/private media organizations will face, but also extends to one of the most important pillars of press, pluralism and freedom. It is not possible to address the concept of free media apart from pluralism, which (if absent) will lead to the lack of accountability and criticism on the media’s agenda, and the absence of a very important platform for public debate, which will deprive the public of an important opportunity to participate and influence public issues and policies. Some of the general measures imposed during this crisis (not only in Palestine but in various countries) indicate a more difficult and limited working environment that the media may be influenced by once the emergency state and the crisis end. Among the important questions raised in this regard is that idolizing the Government and Security Services (even the health staff ) in connection with their role as part of their duty, will affect the opportunities for the media to account and criticize the Government, Security Services and the health sector after the end of the pandemic." (Pages 4-5)
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"This paper presents a new set of indicators to assess the viability of news media at a time when the discussion about the survival of quality media is omnipresent, while systematic, fact-based strategies to tackle the problem are omni-absent. As digital transformation is sweeping through the media
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industry, marking the death knell of traditional business models, new answers are needed. Based on its Media Viability Model, DW Akademie has developed a framework that allows media managers, media development experts, and academics to assess individual media outlets or entire information ecosystems in a practical, solution-oriented, and tailor-made way. The Media Viability Indicators (MVIs) look at five societal dimensions that influence the functioning and quality of news media: economics, politics, content and expertise, technology, and the community they are serving. They allow for gathering data and evidence sorely needed for more effective and substantiated strategies. The MVIs also aim to develop a common language about what media viability actually means and enhance the discussion on what needs to be taken into account when talking about the future of news media." (Page 1)
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"Radio stations across Africa are facing unprecedented threats to their sustainability due to weak media markets, limited advertising revenue and intense competition. A more pragmatic understanding of viability and more flexible donor strategies can help these outlets stay on air and maintain their
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independence. Station managers must continually balance editorial independence, financial sustainability, and their mission to serve the public. Addressing these three challenges is not always compatible, and trade-offs are often inevitable. Successful stations are able to harness viable funding modalities without selling out and capitalize on management and operations techniques to expand reach without compromising quality content. Marginal improvements in the flexibility of media donors and the media assistance community can foster greater viability and independence for small outlets in challenging context." (Key findings)
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"The paper explores what news companies with reader revenue models are doing through structured interviews with 26 media executives from 15 news organisations. Some of these outlets run digital subscriptions. Others have reader revenue models with a less transactional value proposition. Most of them
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are based in Spain and the United Kingdom. Some are based in other European countries such as Denmark, Sweden, Italy and France. The paper doesn’t analyze either the virtues of different pay models or the price of the offerings of every particular newspaper. Its main goal is to explain the strategies news outlets are applying to deal with the profound changes required by a subscription business in the hope that some could be used by other news organisations elsewhere." (https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk)
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"This media viability handbook is unique in that it has been written by media startups themselves and presents the learnings of 21 digital pioneers including the Philippines' Rappler, Egypt's Mada Masr and Animal Politico in Mexico. The pages are filled with tips and information these media startups
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from 18 different countries wished they had when they first started out. It includes lessons learned, advice for successful growth and perhaps most importantly, how to sustain a startup's success. The handbook presents a three-step approach: the start phase, growth phase and the media viability phase. It highlights an approach that focuses not only on revenue streams — an area that many startups put too much emphasis on — but aspects of the business such as human resources and audience engagement, which are crucial for achieving media viability. Each chapter of the handbook explores one of the three steps in depth. In the first chapter, we hear from six startups in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). They share their experiences of turning an idea into a reality and share the knowledge they learned during the start phase focusing on revenue streams, audience engagement, collaboration and donors' motives. In chapter two, seven startups from the Asia region dive into structure and growth. There is a particular focus on diversifying revenue streams, staffing and internal organization, identifying a core mission and capitalizing on your strengths. Chapter three features eight startups from Latin American countries who impart their knowledge on sustaining the success they have achieved. It rounds up the important lessons that digital media entrepreneurs should carry with them at all times. Community building, producing a quality product and involving the whole team in decision making processes are key." (Publisher description)
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"Without new public funding, regulation of digital markets, and international support systems for non-profit media, independent professional journalism is in danger of becoming an expensive luxury rather than a universal public good. The press freedom and media development communities have joined jo
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urnalism and media organizations to call on the international community, US government, EU member states and others to adopt ambitious policies and budgets that correspond to the urgency and scale of the crisis. Recommendations include: • Firmly positioning the support for the sector within overall international development assistance and governance support and scaling funding available to journalism and media, especially in low and middle-income countries. • Creating mechanisms to support local public interest journalism (especially in “news deserts” and areas where the public is underserved), accountability and investigative reporting, as well as innovation related to new hybrid business models. Greater institutional/core support, capacity building and flexible, longer-term funding are needed. • Addressing digital market failure and the regulatory disparity between digital platforms and heavily regulated media businesses with affirmative action for journalism content visibility, media diversity and plurality." (Recommendations)
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"A theory of change is a concise, explicit explanation of: "If we do X, and Y holds true, then we'll achieve Z because a, b, and c." With this structure, the TOC makes clear how (if-then) and why (because) the project team expects or assumes that certain actions will produce desired changes for indi
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viduals, groups, communities or institutions in the environment where the project will be implemented. TOCs can be developed for different levels of the objectives hierarchy. A "high level" TOC articulates how successful achievement of the project's end-of-project objectives or outcomes (SOs) will be contributing to longer-term, broader, lasting change (project's goal). However, often TOCs are developed to describe the whole causal chain - from activities to outputs, from outputs to IRs, from IRs to SOs, and SOs to goal. In this case, the TOC typically splits into complementary "if-then-because" statements that focus on the changes that the design team is least certain about - where assumptions are greater, or evidence is less strong. Presenting a more comprehensive, multi-level TOC enables the design team to investigate and explain the interaction between various activities or strategies; in other words, it helps describe pathways of change. Pathways of change identify the connections between different preconditions, and how they relate to or mutually reinforce each other, and describe the sequence in which they are to be achieved." (Page 3)
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"Ce livre aborde de manière originale les difficiles relations interculturelles, plus particulièrement les questions du vivre ensemble dans le contexte actuel où le numérique est omniprésent et la diversité culturelle de plus en plus grande. Les deux auteures ont pu constater, à partir de leu
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r expérience dans le domaine de la pratique interculturelle, à quel point la fragilisation des liens sociaux affecte les relations et crée des tensions qui aboutissent souvent en des conflits allant jusqu'à la rupture de la communication entre les personnes. Les chapitres présentent des situations concrètes vécues et proposent des solutions innovatrices pour dénouer des situations interculturelles difficiles." (Description de la maison d'édition)
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"In light of the positive evolution in the mobilization of voluntary contributions over recent years, UNESCO can be more ambitious in setting its resource mobilization targets. At USD 453 million, the funding gap in the draft programme and budget for 2020- 2021 represents an increase of 30% over tha
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t identified for 2018-2019. Going forward, in order to meaningfully play its role in the achievement of the SDGs, and to maintain its relevance and visibility in an increasingly competitive environment, UNESCO needs to step up its resource mobilization performance – leveraging additional financial resources, diversifying its financial partners, working to increase the predictability of its resources, and accessing know-how and capacity from its public and private partners. To realize this ambition every entity in the Organization – whether Sector or Section, Field Office or Institute is called to play its part. To help colleagues contribute in the most efficient way to this house-wide resource mobilization effort, and ensure that we are all pulling in the same direction, the Resource Mobilization Guidebook gives a step-by-step overview of the process of mobilizing resources. It explains who does what as part of a closely coordinated resource mobilization effort, and explains in detail at each stage in the process. It gives an overview of the tools, templates, modalities, and other knowledge resources available to all staff from the preliminary assessment of needs to the final programme evaluation. Most importantly, the Resource Mobilization Guidebook places resource mobilization in the wider context of partnerships, which constitute themselves a separate SDG (SDG 17). Resource mobilization at UNESCO is not simply a transaction. It is a mutual commitment to build a long-term partnership based on a common purpose, mutual accountability and a shared commitment to deliver results. The Guidebook shines a light on the principles, values and priorities that underpin the way we mobilize resources. Its overarching purpose is to facilitate the work of the staff, to encourage the development of house-wide standards, and to foster excellence in the way we nurture and manage partnerships at UNESCO." (Preface)
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"The traditional financial models for news are dying. Could churches, environmental movements, and open source communities hold clues to its survival? We’re at a moment of profound transition and successive crisis for news. Our mission is to explore how membership models might help. A key takeaway
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from our research over the past 12 months is that membership models are fundamentally different from subscription or product models–and that they require whole new methods and mindsets to be successful. Membership isn’t just “subscription by another name” (though it’s often referenced that way), or about giving consumers access to a product. It’s participation in a larger cause that reflects what they want to see in civil society. In membership, there’s a different “social contract” or “value proposition” between the site and its members. At the basic level of: What do you give? What do you get? Subscribers pay their money and get access to a product. But members join the cause and participate because they believe in it." (Executive summary)
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