"More than three years after the coup, a significant majority of the 40 senior media executives interviewed for this report say they are still dependent, partially or fully, on grants to run their operations. While they cannot control the external factors impacting on their work, be that the conflic
...
t or the unpredictability of digital platform policies, they recognise that if they want to survive and attract funding and revenue, they need to build strong, professional operations and to prove their resilience. That includes doing independent, ethical journalism, developing strong financial management and inclusive HR policies, engaging with their audiences, experimenting with diverse revenue streams, planning for the future, and preparing for the unexpected." (Looking ahead)
more
"This playbook is designed for media managers and journalists who are looking to monetise their social media channels and diversify their income — particularly in countries where English is not the predominant language. It will provide you with practical strategies and tips for creating and moneti
...
sing content on social media, as well as insights into the unique challenges and opportunities that come with operating in a non-English speaking environment. Whether you’re a seasoned media professional or a novice just starting out, this book is the perfect guide to help you navigate the complex world of social media monetisation and succeed in the digital age." (Introduction, page 7)
more
"With 30 million readers, and paying digital subscribers surging past 700,000, Clarín has the distinction of having the largest number of paid digital users for any news publisher in Latin America." (Introduction)
"Despite the political, economic and linguistic differences that characterise the 40+ countries where we conducted this research, the 540 digital native media organisations featured in our Project Oasis directory face many common challenges and opportunities. Among our key findings:
They use social
...
media to target younger audiences, send news updates via Telegram to evade censorship, and train citizen journalists to reach underserved communities.
More than 85% said society and human rights issues are key areas of their coverage, including topics related to migration, refugees, gender and feminism.
More than 50% dedicate resources to investigative journalism, and many form alliances to cover stories across borders.
More than 58% of the media founders featured in this report are women. They are highly collaborative, and most have two or more co-founders.œMedia founded by teams that include both men and women reported the highest revenues, with an average of €509,740 per year.
Those that invest in business development build more sustainable organisations. Media outlets that have at least one employee dedicated to revenue generation reported average annual revenue six times higher than those without people in these roles: €598,539 compared to .95,629.
More than half the media in this study are non-profit organisations, and many of the for-profit ventures invest more in journalism than building profits.
Among non-profit media, the primary revenue sources are grants, individual donations and membership (in that order). Among for-profits, the top sources are: advertising, website subscriptions and grants.
Revenue diversity is key, but more sources do not correlate to greater success. Developing two to six sources of revenue appears to be optimal for sustainability and independence.
Digital native media outlets range from small start-ups run by volunteers dedicated to their communities, to highly profitable multi-platform operations that attract millions of page views every month and earn millions of euros a year." (Executive summary, page 4-5)
more
"The pandemic brought to crisis point prior trends facing independent news media, whether online or offline or hybrid. While media became more important than ever for citizens as a source of reliable information in an insecure and continuously changing world, newsrooms struggled to pay their bills.
...
Already under financial pressure, many independent media have had to cut staff and even close shop. Transforming this moment of crisis into a window of opportunity, however, many in the media community, officialdom, academia, civil society and the private sector are taking action. They have come up with innovative ways to strengthen viability through initiatives that produce revenue and contribute to the central mission of independent journalism. Their efforts are a source of inspiration for media enterprises all around the world. To help multiply the achievements, this UNESCO publication profiles 11 case studies that can help ensure media viability without compromising editorial independence and journalistic integrity." (Back cover)
more
"What’s working to generate revenue and sustain journalism collaborations, beyond philanthropy? To answer this question, the Center for Cooperative Media, The Lenfest Institute for Journalism and the Solutions Journalism Network conducted a survey, interviewed collaborative project managers, funde
...
rs and ecosystem support staff from around the country, and ultimately identified eight innovative examples of collaborative revenue experiments in progress to share with you. These experiments range from new reader revenue streams to newsletter sponsorships, monetizing events and sharing back-office services." (About this report)
more
"This report is meant to share the experiences and lessons of local media practitioners globally, and to build a community for networking and support. It’s about telling their story in their own voice – and helping all involved learn from one another. By talking to both new digital start-ups and
...
traditional media in transition, this report identifies how media builders in different circumstances understand and meet the challenges they face. Comparing and contrasting experiences from different parts of the world provides both lessons that can be copied as well as warnings about the need to understand how different regional and national conditions impact success. From there, the report draws practical recommendations for news media leaders, for media support organizations, and for the IPI global network." (Introduction, page 4)
more
"Como esperábamos, había diferencias regionales entre los medios digitales en África, el Sudeste Asiático y América Latina que incluimos en este informe. Pero lo que más nos llamó la atención cuando revisábamos los datos eran las similitudes que emergían entre estas organizaciones de notic
...
ias a medida que intentaban cubrir sus comunidades y construir modelos de negocio sustentables. Aunque la mayoría cuenta con presupuestos bastante reducidos, estos medios tienen un impacto sobresaliente comparado con el tamaño de sus equipos y recursos. Muchos se especializan en periodismo de investigación y de datos, y más del 50% ha ganado premios nacionales o internacionales por su trabajo. Punto de Inflexión 2021 representa la investigación más exhaustiva y profunda realizada sobre el estado de los medios nativos digitales en América Latina, el Sudeste Asiático y África. Como muchas de las cosas que hemos aprendido en nuestro mundo durante la pandemia, descubrimos una mezcla de amenazas alarmantes y, al mismo tiempo, logros inspiradores." (Resumen ejecutive, página 6)
more
"Como era de se esperar, houve diferenças regionais entre os veículos jornalísticos digitais na África, Sudeste Asiático e América Latina que incluímos neste relatório. Mas o que mais nos impressionou ao analisarmos os dados foram as semelhanças que surgiram entre essas organizações jorna
...
lísticas ao se esforçarem para cobrir suas comunidades e construir modelos de negócios sustentáveis. Embora a maioria opere com orçamentos relativamente reduzidos, elas têm um impacto que excede seu peso em comparação ao tamanho de suas equipes e recursos. Muitas delas são especializadas em jornalismo investigativo e de dados, e mais de 50% já ganharam prêmios nacionais ou internacionais por seu trabalho. Este estudo, Ponto de Inflexão Internacional, representa a mais profunda e ampla pesquisa já feita sobre o estado da mídia nativa digital na América Latina, Sudeste Asiático e África. Como acontece com tantas coisas em nosso mundo não-quase-pós-pandêmico, o que descobrimos foi uma combinação de ameaças alarmantes e descobertas inspiradoras." (Resumo executivo, pagina 6)
more
"In June 2020, MDIF conducted a survey of 36 Myanmar media outlets to gather information about the impact of COVID-19 on their businesses between March and May. They represent a mix of national media, as well as local media from the ethnic states and regions. Their operations are of various sizes: t
...
hree media have 70-150 staff, 7 have 20-69, and 26 have 1-19. All the media surveyed felt the impact of COVID-19 almost immediately. Not surprisingly, as this has generally been the experience of media worldwide, commercial revenue decline was often dramatic: half of the survey respondents reported more than a 75% drop in income. Thirty-two of the 36 respondents had advertising revenue prior to the start of the pandemic, and all of them reported that it was negatively affected. All 19 media with print products were obliged to either reduce or even halt production. In response to collapsing revenues, 31 of the 36 survey respondents instituted spending cuts between March and May including, in some cases, cutting salaries and staff. Even as they reeled from the economic impact, Myanmar media also had to adapt their working environments. All the media surveyed quickly instituted work from home practices or else established social distancing in their offices and provided protective equipment for their staff. At the same time, more than half of the media reported having to contend with safety and security challenges. These came in the form of restrictions on movement, websites being blocked, on and offline surveillance, staff harassment and arrests. In common with media in other countries, one bright spot in this bleak picture has been audience growth. MDIF’s survey found that almost all media saw both their digital audiences, and audience engagement, increase. This had a positive knock-on effect for the media, with 30 respondents reporting that during this period they were able to strengthen their digital skills and knowledge due to the increased focus on their online content. The good news that 21 of the 31 respondents that sought emergency funding during the survey period obtained it, is tempered by the reality that the impact of COVID-19 has been deep and will be long lasting. The future for media in Myanmar is precarious." (Introduction)
more
"The aim of this proposal is to present the evolution of the digital native media in Spain in order to compare their current situation with European success stories. For that purpose, we have conducted a comparative case study between three highlighted Spanish digital native news outlets and three f
...
rom other European countries. The results show a progressive shift towards a member-funded model, while news outlets try to reduce their dependence on advertising. However, the three European natives seem to be more advanced compared to the Spanish cases as these remain still dependent on advertising revenues to stand upright. Furthermore, two models of participation stand out: the user community and, in particular, the model of collaboration networks. Nevertheless, the study reveals how the analyzed European news outlets are changing the role of the reader through innovative forms of participatory interactivity." (Abstract)
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
"This report aims to identify, evaluate, and discuss models to finance investigative journalism in the EU. To provide a thorough evaluation, we developed a set of criteria that cover six areas to that the financial source may exert an influence from high to low degrees. Those are (1) Independence, (
...
2) Quality, (3) Market Structure, (4) Processes, (5) Sustainability, and (6) Competitiveness. This set of criteria is applied to eight representative financing models that stretch from the classical publishing house over innovative financing to publicly supported media. The analysis reveals that only a mixture of models allows the market to benefit best from each model’s core asset. The diversity of finance models is a natural inhibitor of market concentration, when regulative interference is well dosed. Also, the pluralistic set of finance models supports independence in that power is spread over many market actors." (Executive summary)
more
"This report explores the recent trajectory of South African news with a specific focus on the economic sustainability of news media. Digital news consumption on mobile phone, and especially via Social Media on Smart Phones (SMSP) is fracturing audiences and reducing traditional sources of revenue.
...
Printed newspapers in particular are starting to close and will be closing, this report suggests, at an accelerated rate, and while the past two or three years have seen a revival in important national-level political reporting, local and community media is increasingly losing the struggle to survive. Dozens of community papers have closed in 2015-2017, some after many decades of publishing. The Times in Johannesburg closed in January 2018. Many others will follow. In addition, as this report explores, much of the best current journalism produced in South Africa is currently financed by grants and donations from international foundations. The disruption of the news industry by digital technology has, in South Africa, been exacerbated by political manipulation of news media, including, as this report explores, a multi-pronged attack on media coordinated by what the report describes as the Zuma-centred power elite (after the 2017 PARI report “How South Africa is being Stolen”)." (Executive summary)
more
"Business Strategies for Magazine Publishing explores tactics for creating financially sustainable publications in the 21st century. Mary Hogarth, media specialist, Senior Fellow (HEA) and lecturer in Journalism at Bournemouth University, analyses the historical development of the magazine industry,
...
as well as current and future challenges for publishers, to illustrate different approaches to revenue generation and the maintenance of magazine brands. The book examines the wide-ranging impact of digital technology on how magazine content is consumed, revealing the dramatic consequences for advertising, distribution and marketing strategies. Traditional business models are evaluated alongside new online approaches, and readers will be introduced to the Magazine Publishing Strategic Quadrant, a model created by the author as an alternative to the Business Canvas Model. In addition, in-depth interviews with high-profile industry figureheads and magazine editors, such as Jessica Strawser of Writer’s Digest and former Good Housekeeping Editorial Director Lindsay Nicholson, offer readers an insight into how to produce and monetise online content. These interviews appear alongside exercises and action plans that give readers the opportunity to put what they have learned into practice." (Publisher description)
more
"This exploratory study [.] argues that in a continent where traditional media organizations are increasingly failing to hold power to account, not-for-profit organizations are leading by example, setting the agenda and constantly scrutinizing those in power. This study further looks at the motivati
...
on behind the formation of three not-for-profit investigative organizations, their funding model, as well as their impact in their respective countries. The following organizations are being studied: South Africa’s Amabhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism; Nigeria’s Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism; and Botswana’s INK Centre for Investigative Journalism. This study also argues that although these organizations are playing a crucial role in keeping power in check, their overreliance on donor organizations may spell doom for some of them." (Abstract)
more