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The Critical Role Support Organizations Can Play in Maturing the Local News Field

Anika Anand, Darryl Holliday

Democracy Fund; Commoner Company (2025), 16 pp.

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The State of Media Development: Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Giorgi Jangiani

Bonn: Deutsche Welle DW Akademie (2025), 20 pp.

"The report highlights both urgent challenges and emerging opportunities in Eastern Europe and Central Asia — a region grappling with financial instability driven by the Russian war in Ukraine, political manipulation, declining support from tech platforms, and the potential loss of decades of accu ... mulated human and intellectual capital in the media sector. These challenges are further compounded by growing polarization, opaque platform-dominated markets, and increasingly repressive legislation. As a result, many media organizations are being forced into untenable choices between defending press freedom and investing in innovation and content production. Despite these pressures, the study emphasizes the resilience and adaptability of local media actors. Donor support remains meaningful in key areas such as institutional strengthening, coordination, research/learning and promoting local ownership. However, the report stresses that financial support alone is not enough — it calls for sustained, principled, and coordinated engagement. As one interviewee noted, “We don’t want to end up in a situation where we’re forced to sacrifice one principle over another — but in this region, that’s already happening.” While panic is not a strategy, inaction risks deepening the crisis. This report provides clear guidance for donors and implementers to reinforce media ecosystems and protect public interest journalism. If we were to summarize the key recommendations of this report, they would be: – Ensure sustainable core funding: Core support is essential to respond to crises and reduce reliance on politically influenced or commercially driven content. – Invest in long-term tech innovation: Fragmented, short-term digital investments fall short. Donors must coordinate support for scalable, sustainable digital strategies and help reclaim advertising revenue. – Address local media gaps: In many areas, television remains dominant while digital capacity lags. Fund initiatives that reinforce local democratic discourse and reduce polarization. – Strengthen legal and safety protections: Small and exiled media face legal threats and security risks. Long-term investment is needed in legal reform, journalist safety, and operational resilience. – Prioritize local leadership and inclusion: Donor reliance on international actors often sidelines capable local organizations. Local voices must be centered in strategy, funding, and implementation. Finally, it’s worth noting that the regional findings are based on a focused but insightful sample: 13 organizations from Eastern Europe and Central Asia participated in the survey (as part of the global survey), alongside 10 key informant interviews. Despite its limited scope, the report offers a solid foundation for future assessments and strategic agenda-setting in media development." (Conclusions and key recommendations) more

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Global thematic evaluation of EU actions to counter disinformation and foreign interference and manipulation of information (FIMI). Contract N° 300109186, Final Report

Per Oesterlund, Vesna Salaj, Andrei Richter, Tanja Hafner Ademi, Jawad Wariaghli, Suzanne Moll Moll

European Commission; Particip (2025), 357 pp.

"This Global Thematic Evaluation of EU Actions to Counter Disinformation and Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) assessed 45 Actions funded by the Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI) since 2021, with a combined budget of around €100 million. The portfolio covered Afri ... ca, Asia, Latin America, and the EU Neighbourhood and Enlargement regions, spanning media literacy, fact-checking, journalism support, and targeted counter-disinformation initiatives. The evaluation reviewed all Actions and analysed 12 in depth, combining desk research, surveys, interviews, and six field missions. Relevance: The Actions were broadly relevant to EU commitments on countering disinformation and FIMI, aligning with the IcSP/FPI mandate and the EEAS Stratcom agenda, and responding to the concrete needs of journalists, fact-checkers, and civil society in fragile contexts. Flexibility allowed rapid mobilisation, which was widely valued. However, strategic articulation was weak: many Actions remained stand-alone or implementer-driven, without clear embedding in a wider EU counter-FIMI strategy. The portfolio was largely reactive, drawing little on foresight capacities, and emerging themes such as gendered disinformation, climate/environmental narratives, digital security, or psychosocial support were rarely addressed systematically. Effectiveness: Most Actions were implemented as planned, despite serious disruptions, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine or weak digital infrastructure in some contexts. Outcomes, however, were uneven: ambitious objectives were often poorly matched with measurable indicators, making achievements difficult to evidence. Implementing Partners with local credibility and contextual expertise proved decisive, while those lacking local embeddedness delivered weaker or short-lived results. Innovations such as AI-driven tools demonstrated potential but struggled with uptake due to usability issues, lack of long-term financing models, and limited cooperation from social media platforms. Effectiveness was consistently higher where in-country engagement (for example through EU Delegations) and cooperation with the EEAS and other services successfully linked projects to EU policy efforts, ensuring stronger coordination. Efficiency: The IcSP/FPI instrument proved flexible and resilient, with most Actions delivered broadly on time and within budget, even in fragile and high-risk environments. A rapid budget review confirmed significant variation in cost distribution, ranging from highly cost-effective interventions to projects where management and overheads absorbed disproportionate resources. Variation is expected in a diverse portfolio, but the absence of common budgetary parameters constrained comparability and transparency. Efficiency was higher where Actions partnered with trusted local organisations, leveraged existing infrastructure, and were designed for scalability. At the same time, duplication occurred in some cases (e.g. overlapping AI initiatives), reflecting limited technical coordination. Digital security and GDPR compliance were also weakly addressed in several Actions handling sensitive data, raising risks and inefficiencies. EU Added Value: The EU’s added value was evident in its neutrality and legitimacy, enabling access in contexts where Member States faced political constraints. The rapid-response capacity of FPI was a distinct comparative advantage, with activities launched in weeks rather than months. The EU’s ability to operate at scale and across regions added weight and reach to counter-FIMI efforts. However, visibility of EU support was often low, with Delegations sometimes deliberately keeping a low profile in sensitive environments. Weak articulation of Team Europe further limited collective EU impact and visibility. Coherence: Cooperation with EEAS Stratcom and certain Commission DGs (INTPA, CONNECT, RTD) was constructive, providing continuity and complementarity. At Action level, collaboration between FPI, Delegations, and Implementing Partners generally worked well. Nonetheless, internal coherence remained a challenge: there was no common prioritisation framework, and lesson-sharing across Actions and regions was mostly informal and ad hoc. Coordination with Member States varied: in some countries, EUDs and national embassies worked closely together, while in others MS distanced themselves from sensitive projects. Team Europe approaches were therefore inconsistently applied, limiting collective visibility and strategic weight. Sustainability and impact: Sustainability was strongest where Actions were embedded in credible institutions, such as Strategic Communication Centres in Moldova and Ukraine. Stand-alone platforms and networks often collapsed once funding ended, unless informal peer-to-peer groups were deliberately nurtured. Training effects were fragile due to staff turnover and limited institutional uptake. Many platforms and dashboards lacked handover or financing models, leaving investments vulnerable. These gaps reflect the structural trade-off of a rapid-response instrument: immediacy and flexibility often take precedence over sustainability. At impact level, Actions delivered visible results at micro and meso levels (skills, peer learning, new tools), but systemic change in disinformation dynamics was neither realistic nor evidenced at current scale. Weak outcome-level monitoring further limited the ability to demonstrate incremental long-term effects." (Executive summary, page iv-v) more

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From threat to reality: Independent media endangered, security and democracy weakened, autocracy and disinformation thriving

International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM) (2025), 18 pp.

"Rooted in research and consultation with independent media organisations in 30 middle- and low-income countries, this briefing argues that the weakening of democracy, security, and development is closely correlated with the near extinction of independent media. It demonstrates – with evidence � ... more

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Wie Trump internationale Medien schwächt

Marcus Bensmann, Till Eckert, David Schraven

Correctiv, 20. Februar (2025)

"Hinter dem Ende der US-Auslandshilfen durch „USAID“ steckt offensichtlich mehr als eine Sparmaßnahme. Für Donald Trump ist das ein Mittel, kritische Medien zu mahnen – und Berichterstattung einzudämmen. Ein investigatives Mediennetzwerk musste bereits Dutzende Menschen entlassen. Das inter ... more

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Armenian Media Vulnerability Report: Survey Findings, Conclusions and Recommendations

Riga: Baltic Centre for Media Excellence (BCME); Media Initiatives Center (2025), 35 pp.

"Armenian media outlets face multiple vulnerabilities that threaten their organizational security (including digital and cyber security), financial stability, the well-being of journalists, as well as ability to operate in a crisis to contain reputational damage and ensure continuity of operations. ... more

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Support for Ukrainian Refugees Through Media: Summary of Project Achievements

Paris: UNESCO (2025), 10 pp.

"Through this project, UNESCO strengthened fact-based information exchange between refugees and host citizens as media audience. In doing so, it fostered social cohesion. The project assisted the media in their portrayal of the diversity of viewpoints, and governments in their response to the refuge ... more

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Funding Without Strings: The Case for IJ4EU’s Investigative Journalism Support Model

Marius Dragomir

Journalism Practice (2025), 19 pp.

"Against the backdrop of market failure, shrinking newsroom budgets, and increasing political pressure on the press, the Investigative Journalism for Europe (IJ4EU) program has emerged as a journalist-led, donor-funded initiative that supports collaborative investigative reporting across borders. Dr ... more

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End Term evaluation of the Media Council of Tanzania (MCT) programme support 2018-2024. Final report

Greg Moran, Marko Gideon

Sundbyberg: Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) (2025), x, 59, 28 pp.

"The Media Council of Tanzania (MCT) was established in 1995 as a self-regulatory body to oversee and promote media ethics and resolve complaints over media practice. MCT’s activities have since expanded to include training and advocacy on laws, policies, and protecting key rights for the media. S ... more

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Crisis in Journalism: The Impact of the US Government Funding Cuts on Global Media

Rafiq Copeland (prep.)

Internews Europe (2025), 12 pp.

"In FY2024, the US Congress approved $271.5 million in foreign assistance through the US State Department and USAID in the category of “Independent Media and Free Flow of Information”. Of this, an estimated $150 million directly funded journalism and media support, with the remainder supporting ... the wider information ecosystem and enabling environment through related topics such as freedom of expression, technology policy and digital rights (often with significant overlap between programming). In 2025 and beyond, the vast majority of this funding will disappear – potentially for good. The sudden revocation of funding has dealt a devastating blow to local media outlets, forcing many to shut down or drastically reduce their operations. This has cut off crucial financial support and resources, leaving journalists without the means to continue their vital work when they need it most. The media outlets that have been most reliant on US Government (USG) funding are those operating in the world’s most challenging and volatile environments – conflict zones, authoritarian regimes, disaster-affected regions and underserved communities where access to reliable information can be a matter of life and death. In these contexts, other business models, such as advertising or subscriptions, are often non-existent or unreliable. And it’s not just media organisations that have been devastated by these cuts – associated support organisations, such as unions, training institutions, legal services, and advocacy bodies, have also been severely impacted. Many of the global media outlets that received USG funding have had to immediately cut staff and reduce coverage, while almost all face reduced ability to operate, and uncertainty around longer-term viability. For media operating in high-risk or authoritarian contexts, funding cuts have dramatically increased their vulnerability, not only by weakening operations but by exposing them to greater legal and physical threats. As “lawfare” tactics like defamation suits and restrictive media laws rise, so too do coordinated attacks on journalists’ digital and physical safety – deliberate efforts to silence dissent and suppress democratic discourse. While some partners have been able to temporarily maintain operations, without new funding, the resulting reduction in capacity looks set to deteriorate further." (Overview, page 2) more

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Building Trusted Media in a Fragile Setting: An Evaluation of Radio Ndeke Luka in Central African Republic

Jeffrey Conroy-Krutz

Michigan State University (2024), 8 pp.

"Can the impact of a news radio station on a highly vulnerable population in a crisis-affected country be measured? The installation of new FM transmitters for Radio Ndeke Luka in Beloko, Birao, and Obo in the Central African Republic offered an opportunity to carry out a field study measuring the i ... mpact of our radio station before and after its introduction in these remote regions of the country. The results of this study reveal a tangible impact and a shift in listeners’ perceptions, particularly regarding misinformation. The Central African Republic, marked by a weak central state, widespread poverty, and recurring intercommunal conflicts, is particularly vulnerable to misinformation. Radio Ndeke Luka, a project of Fondation Hirondelle in CAR, plays a crucial role by broadcasting reliable news 24/7 in both French and Sango across the country. Thanks to funding from the European Union, new FM transmitters for RNL were installed between December 2021 and April 2022 in remote areas of the Central African Republic, specifically in Beloko, Birao, and Obo. This provided an opportunity to assess the radio’s impact on local populations before and after the installation. Investigators from the local network of IMMAR Research & Consultancy followed a protocol developed by Dr. Jeff Conroy Krutz, Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Michigan State University. This protocol ensured a random selection of adult participants and gender balance. In total, over 1,700 people were interviewed before the transmitters were installed, and more than 1,800 afterwards, within the same communities across the three localities. Measured Impacts Increase in Audience: RNL became the most listened-to radio station in the targeted areas within months of the new transmitters going live. Relevance and Impartiality: 52% of listeners considered RNL’s programs essential to their daily lives. Trust and impartiality scores also improved between the pre- and post-launch periods. Trust in RNL far exceeded that of other locally accessible radio stations. Combating Misinformation: Residents of the three areas reported significantly greater confidence in their ability to distinguish fact from fiction after the installation of the transmitters, which facilitated access to RNL programs." (https://www.hirondelle.org) more

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What Can We Learn From the Short History of Independent Media in Serbia? Radio B92, George Soros, and New Models of Media Development

Janet Steele

International Journal of Press/Politics, volume 29, issue 3 (2024), pp. 646-666

"Radio B92 was an iconic independent media institution in Serbia. Founded in 1989, B92 provided Belgrade listeners with subversive rock music, high-quality journalism, and independent perspectives on politics in the former Yugoslavia. An early adapter to the internet, B92 has been credited with spar ... more

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Results-based report on IPDC projects implemented in 2022-2023

Paris: International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) (2024), 47 pp.

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Press Forward: A Guide for Local Funders

Sarah Gustavus Lim, Katie Hawkins-Gaar

Press Forward (2024), 23 pp.

"Press Forward aims to grow the overall investment in local news and strengthen communities across the country over the next five years by focusing on such shared values as equity, accessibility, collaboration and centering community needs. The vision of the founding coalition is to increase resourc ... more

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L’aide française aux médias étrangers: Une analyse de la diplomatie publique par ses acteurs, ses réseaux et ses luttes

Simon Mangon

Questions de Communication, volume 44 (2024), pp. 29-44

"Dans cet article, je propose d’analyser l’aide française aux médias étrangers comme une forme de diplomatie publique. À partir d’une enquête portant sur l’histoire, la structuration et les acteurs de cette aide, je montre que sa fabrique fait l’objet de luttes et de négociations. La ... more

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Le journalisme par projets: Ce que l’aide internationale fait aux médias (Jordanie, Tunisie)

Simon Mangon

Revue Internationale de Politique Comparée, volume 31, issue 1 (2024), pp. 127-151

"Cet article propose d’observer les transformations contemporaines du journalisme à partir d’un objet original, l’aide internationale aux médias. Il s’agit à la fois de comprendre ce que ce phénomène dit de la profession journalistique et ce qu’il fait au métier. L’hypothèse princ ... more

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Breaking newsrooms: Are Myanmar’s exiled journalists getting a fair deal?

Ye Mon, Ben Dunant

Frontier Myanmar, September 9 (2024)

"Journalists are allegedly suffering exploitation and abuse at exiled news outlets, but there’s debate over whether the responsibility to respond falls on donors or a media industry that is taking gradual steps to self-regulate." (Introduction)

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Partnership Approaches for Press Freedom: Best Practices for ‘Localisation’ and ‘In-Country Ownership’
Deep Insights

Amsterdam: Free Press Unlimited (2024), 41 pp.

"We summarise here the most important recommendations for ‘localisation’ in partnership approaches and developing in-country ownership: - The power dynamics of funding streams: Partners in fragile countries struggling for (economic) survival sometimes feel compelled to agree to projects designs ... that do not match their needs. Funding streams from international implementers of projects and donor requirements by country donors and private foundations create power imbalances that need to be constantly reviewed and mitigated against. In an era of shrinking civic space, international organisations often become focused on the competition for donor funding too much. Accepting donor's views and its language can be a spoiler of trust between international organisations and in-country organisations if it does not match local needs. Saying ‘no’ can be healthy to contest ill-conceived funding. Power dynamics are not always about money, but also about (un)healthy relationships, shared knowledge and genuine interest in each other’s skills, capacity and knowledge. We need to stay sensitive regarding cultural norms and views on the role of journalists in fragile countries. Within programmes there is space for sharing responsibility more. Co-design and co-ownership requires constant attention. - Words matter in relationships with partners, be sensitive and self-reflective: This is exemplified by the frequent use of words as ‘local’, ‘southern’, ‘poor countries’ which are perceived by in-country organisations as belittling and discriminatory. Even the word 'localisation' itself is contested but we use it here as the international discussion frames it in the current discussions about Aid Infrastructure. Toxic and/or colonial vocabulary is mentioned repeatedly by partners and colleagues as a risk for an equal relationship. By contrast Free Press Unlimited should be conscious of such mechanisms, and continuously develop a glossary which radiates equity and equality and keep discussing it as language evolves. - Long term investment is needed for leadership and in-country ownership: Local ownership and autonomy requires investment in in-country organisations and its key staff. But ‘localisation’ is not an end in itself. It is a means to make credible trusted information available in various contexts as delivered by professional in-country media actors. Sometimes a local set-up is required to facilitate growth of country organisations and fostering local leadership. In the discussion about ‘localisation’ there is a trend visible where international organisations are setting up local offices to follow the ‘money going south’. This is not a positive trend and also not a solution to empower in-country organisations, and Free Press Unlimited tries to stay away from copying it. - Address global issues within the partnerships, it has added value for partners: In-country organisations in conflict prone and repressive societies are busy with survival. International organisations such as Free Press Unlimited can bring in expertise and perspectives from other regions and countries to overcome such divisional aspects of various in-country contexts. Free Press Unlimited is able to convene, help bridge divides and build coalitions, by bringing in counterparts in the same situation. But it is not just about learning and project design but also about the reflective nature of advocacy rooted in in-country contexts. Free Press Unlimited’s advocacy strategy sources its legitimacy in partners and their context and entertains a do-no-harm policy towards her partners. - Use the relationships with donors to ensure better value for partners: Free Press Unlimited’s positive experiences with seed money and finding donors for it, is an important contribution to partners and allies. It is often more challenging for in-country organisations to find a seat at the table of donors, and they often lack the multifaceted access to donors. Money is important, but belief in a free press and free access to information is more critical in reaching the goals of FPU. FPU must never replace "propagating" its ethos with looking for money for partners. - Articulate your powers better and do not shy away from using them for public good: International press freedom organisations have power and they should use it for the benefit of the global press- and media freedom community. Relinquishing that power in the face of shrinking space, also towards donors can help Free Press Unlimited to remain bold, ambitious and table the discussion about the positive power for good that international organisations have and can put to use for the benefit of all." (Executive summary, pp. 6-7) more

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A feminist take on international media development: How media development projects empower women and marginalized groups

Miriam Küller, Alexandra Spaeth

Bonn: Deutsche Welle DW Akademie (2024), 34 pp.

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Mapping out cross-regional expert exchange: A practical orientation to global peer collaboration and growth

Rune Meissel, Rose Kimani

Bonn: Deutsche Welle DW Akademie (2024), 15 pp.

Partnership Approaches for Press Freedom: Best Practices for ‘Localisation’ and ‘In-Country Ownership’ Deep Insights

Partnership Approaches for Press Freedom: Best Practices for ‘Localisation’ and ‘In-Country Ownership’
Deep Insights