"The media sector in Kyrgyzstan is heavily dominated by the government through both ownership and funding. The government funds a large pool of state-owned media companies, including newspapers, radio broadcasters and the public service operator KTRK. According to our estimates, the government spent
...
some US$ 7.6m in the media in 2018, more than 75% of which was accounted for by the state budget allocation for KTRK. On top of that, in a move aimed at gaining loyalty of media outlets, it is believed that the government is using state-owned companies, mainly banks and mining firms, or other public institutions, to fund more media. The value of these contributions is not publicly available. According to our calculations, and interviews with experts and journalists carried out for this report, we estimate the value of government funding in the media to be upwards of US$ 10m, which is equivalent to roughly half the value of the advertising market in Kyrgyzstan. Such an overly dominant position of the government in the media harms the country’s journalism in many ways. First, most of the media that relies on government cash is biased in its reporting. KTRK, one of the most influential broadcasters in Kyrgyzstan thanks partly to its nationwide coverage, is a devoted promoter of state policies and rarely provides alternative points of view. More than a third of KTRK’s airtime is filled with state propaganda, recent studies showed. Second, the government’s intervention in the media has a distorting effect on the market, discouraging investments and stymieing innovation and experimentation. Besides government funding, a major source of revenue for the media is the informal financing, comprising ad hoc contributions made by people or companies to media outlets as a way to buy their allegiance [...] Philanthropy remains the sole source of support for independent media. However, its contribution is a pittance compared to the other sources of media funding. The philanthropy funding in the Kyrgyz media during the past decade, some US$ 6.1m, is less than two-thirds of the state spending in one year alone." (Page 4)
more
"Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF) is a not-for-profit fund that provides affordable debt, equity, and quasi-equity financing as well as technical assistance to independent media companies in countries where the free press is under threat [...] As of December 31, 2018, MDIF has provided more
...
than $172 million in financing and technical assistance grants to 115 independent media companies, primarily small and medium enterprises (SMEs), across 40 countries. As the only global investment fund for independent news media, MDIF presents several insights for others considering blended finance in the media sector – or in other sectors that face significant investment barriers: While blended finance is not a panacea for financing the SDGs, it can still support private sector development for less commonly targeted SDGs; Fit-for-purpose vehicles can be used to unlock specific pools of investment capital; It can be difficult for ‘first-time fund managers’ to raise commercial capital – even those with a relevant track record; The larger ticket sizes required to attract investors can be challenging to reconcile with impactful investment sizes; Blended finance offers a unique opportunity to align incentives for development impact and financial returns." (Executive summary)
more
"Our research suggests publishers should invest in capabilities to engage in constant testing and experimentation in digital — to build engagement among digital audiences and ultimately convert engaged readers into paying subscribers. For commercial and for-profit models in particular, publishers
...
should become smart across a range of new strategies, including how to configure meters and rules to calibrate a mix of free and paid access. The trends we have observed across the publishers studied suggest pricing models, marketing tactics, and new approaches to audience engagement can help publishers succeed in a news environment increasingly friendly to robust digital programs. Produced through surveys of more than 500 for-profit newsrooms, this research suggests new best practices to aid publishers in increasing and sustaining digital subscriptions. This initiative complements existing research at the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public policy uncovering sustainable business models for local news and nonprofit publishers. This paper begins with recommendations for publishers to propel shifts to subscriber-focused models, how to define their news organization’s market, and how to measure engagement within that market. They are followed by a set of suggested strategies to drive a reader’s intent to subscribe, and to maintain that digital subscribership once that reader has entered a publisher’s ecosystem." (Abstract)
more
"This report focuses on how digital-born news media navigate audience engagement in the context of both rapid developments in a digital, mobile, and platform-dominated media environment and significant political pressure, including the ‘weaponisation’ of social media to target and harass indepen
...
dent news organisations and individual journalists, along with their audiences. It is based on analysis of data from Participatory Action Research, including fieldwork and interviews at three news organisations in the process of actively redefining audience engagement. They are Rappler (the Philippines), Daily Maverick (South Africa), and The Quint (India) – all commercial news organisations of the Global South, whose public interest journalism has been recognised with top international industry awards. We show how these outlets, two of which – Rappler and The Quint – relied heavily on social media for distribution and audience engagement at the outset, are now faced with the risks accompanying open and social journalism at-scale, including the ‘weaponisation’ of online communities by political actors, and the frequently changing priorities of the platforms. We find that, in response to political attacks, and the risks associated with various forms of what we’re calling platform capture’, these news organisations are evolving, and are increasingly focused on forging deeper, narrower, and stronger relationships with audiences, emphasising physical encounters, investment in niche audiences over empty reach, and moving communities to action." (Publisher description)
more
"This report examines how digital-born news media in the Global South have developed innovative reporting and storytelling practices in response to growing disinformation problems. Based on field observation and interviews at Rappler in the Philippines, Daily Maverick in South Africa, and The Quint
...
in India, we show that all three organisations combine a clear sense of mission and a commitment to core journalistic values with an active effort to find new ways of identifying and countering disinformation, based on a combination of investigative journalism fact-checking, data and social network analysis, and sometimes strategic collaboration with both audiences and platform companies. In the process, each of these organisations are developing new capacities and skills, sharing them across the newsroom, differentiating themselves from their competitors, and potentially increasing their long-term sustainability, in ways we believe other news media worldwide could learn from. All three case organisations we examine here are digital-born, mobile-first (or in the process of becoming so), and at least in part enabled by social media in terms of audience development and reach. While smaller than their most important legacy media competitors, all have built significant online audiences across their websites and social media channels. They represent a strategic sample of leading digital-born commercial news media operating with limited resources in challenging media, political, and press freedom environments in the Global South." (Publisher description)
more
"The Handbook showcases IAWRT members’ experiences and best practices for working towards advancing gender equality in and on the media in Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, India and Uganda." (Publisher description)
"Three years after writing the report Publishing for Peanuts, in which we surveyed 35 media startups mostly from the Global South, we decided to go back and see how the outlets had fared. Our area of interest in 2015 was small-to-medium size independent media outlets with a track record of consisten
...
tly producing credible content independently of state and mainstream media in the countries in which they were operating. ‘Startup’ describes their work practices but, in fact, some of those we interviewed had been in operation for many years but may have undergone a relaunch or adapted to new circumstances following a political event. Those “Global Muckraker” outlets remained our focus in 2018. As questions about media viability remain unanswered we wanted to understand the experiences of journalists in the Global South. Returning to the 35 outlets, we found three had failed, and six had been seriously reconfigured or renamed [...] Our key findings: Financial survival is the biggest worry for the media outlets we profiled, followed by political risk and physical safety. The outlets remain dependent on donors. Advertising is hard to come by and raising funding from audiences has proven difficult. Donors need to accept this reality and be willing to commit to long-term support for outlets creating a public good. The grim political climate, rise of right-wing demagogues and attacks on the media have made the outlets feel appreciated in many countries. They recounted tales of support and encouragement from their audiences. But this sentiment does not translate into sustainable forms of funding. The outlets have professionalized in the sense that many now have accounting software, bookkeepers and full-time staff working on grant writing. But many still rely on unpaid contributors and some use office space that was provided for free or rented at a discount. There is a strong correlation between employing a full-time marketing staffer and generating revenue ..." (Executive summary)
more
"Media viability challenges will not be solved at the individual outlet level. Rather, it is necessary to bring different stakeholders together to look at the bigger picture and assess the health of a country or a region’s media ecosystem. Then, partners can strategically plan projects that contri
...
bute to creating an enabling environment for the media, one in which outlets have a chance to survive—or even thrive. Networks can go far in boosting viability, acting as bulwark against political influence as well as helping outlets share resources and scale their potential to access all sorts of revenue sources Finally, what is important to foster media viability at the level of individual media outlets? The most important step is to broaden the perspective beyond the isolated search for new sources of income. A viable strategy finds a balance between the different aspects of Media Viability—economy, politics, technology, content, and community—to set community radio stations, digital start-ups, and local newspapers on a more viable path." (Pages 8-9)
more
"This research is based on the belief that there is no journalism crisis, but a business model one. So, learning from successful experiences that innovate in the business is the first step towards building a healthier media landscape in other countries. During this paper I will focus specially in tw
...
o European news startups launched in the last 11 years which betted for audience support and up to date have succeeded in reaching a very influential position in the media landscape of their countries. Both are economically profitable as well. They are Eldiario.es from Spain and Mediapart from France. Founded by experienced and already well-known journalists, both news outlets are ranked in the top 10 most frequently visited websites in their countries (competing with legacy media brands from all platforms). They are also in the top three in terms of trust, according to the 2019 DNR. They have constantly increased their newsrooms and multiplied more than five time their budgets since launching. They published scoops that dominated news agenda and lead to resignations to high members of each national government." (Page 7)
more
"Lo cierto es que después de muchas experiencias tipo ensayo-error hemos concluido que no existe un decálogo infalible para el éxito en el emprendimiento digital periodístico. Y que la viralidad es una mujer vestida de sol y en esa medida es mejor dejarte impactar por sus rayos que acercarte dem
...
asiado a su ser. Este libro está en plena armonía con esta máxima y por eso vale la pena leerlo. No tiene secretos nunca antes revelados, solo es un conjunto de relatos inspiradores y de cifras que dan luces muy valiosas en estos tiempos de la fiebre de trending topics, es decir: de oscuridad. Quienes lo lean probablemente no multiplicarán sus seguidores y su condición de influenciadores se seguirá agotando en el momento mismo en el que no son capaces de influenciar a su pareja para decidir de qué color tapizar los muebles de las sala. Tampoco terminarán incluidos en el Sisben de los ricos del ministro Carrasquilla, pero sí es muy posible que logren tener claro qué es lo que quieren. Y eso es lo más importante en el mundo." (Cubierta del libro)
more
"This report is intended to aid staff from news organizations and media entrepreneurs who wish to grow their revenue by deepening interactions with their audiences. It’s based on hundreds of conversations and interviews with journalists, managers, and members themselves, including newsroom fieldwo
...
rk and observation, as well as focus groups with supporters of news sites. We use these findings to share strategic and tactical considerations for building audience revenue programs. We also share detailed examples of ways that news organizations around the world are experimenting with new approaches to raising funds and supporting myriad forms of audience participation." (Abstract)
more
"This edited volume, which elaborates on the idea and concept of sustainable journalism, is the result of a perceived lack of integral research approaches to journalism and sustainable development. Thirty years ago, in 1987, the Brundtland Report pointed out economic growth, social equality and envi
...
ronmental protection as the three main pillars of a sustainable development. These pillars are intertwined, interdependent, and need to be reconciled. However, usually, scholars interested in the business crisis of the media industry tend to leave the social and environmental dimensions of journalism aside, and vice versa. What Is Sustainable Journalism? is the first book that discusses and examines the economic, social and environmental challenges of professional journalism simultaneously. This unique book and fresh contribution to the discussion of the future of journalism assembles international expertise in all three fields, arguing for the necessity of integral research perspectives and for sustainable journalism as the key to long-term survival of professional journalism." (Publisher description)
more
"Newspapers have come a long way since youngsters hawked the latest edition on street corners or metal boxes collected coins from anonymous visitors sucked in by a juicy headline. Today’s publishers need to be much more savvy about distribution, getting their arms around who their customers are, w
...
hat makes them pay, and how to drive the right behaviors across a varied and complex online landscape. That means applying new technologies, adopting a “test and learn” way of thinking and going where the data leads them. Gone are the days when success could be measured by how many million unique visitors a website has in a month, especially when the vast majority of those come once, never to be seen again. In a few years time, the playbook may have changed. But keeping up with the fast-moving technology world is no longer an option, it’s an imperative for survival in the digital age." (Conclusion)
more
"Myanmar’s local media outlets face a variety of internal and external obstacles hampering their prospects for sustainability. Key among these today, and the focus of this report, are the business realities that every media outlet must tackle." (Introduction)