Reimagining Funding for Journalism: Key Takeaways from IJF 2025
Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD), May 6 (2025)
"At the International Journalism Festival (IJF) in Perugia this year, journalism funding and sustainability took centre stage. International funders, media leaders, and innovators grappled with the urgent question of how to keep independent journalism not just alive—but thriving—in an era of shrinking resources, shifting donor priorities, and rapid technological disruption. This roundup highlights key takeaways that emerged from the festival’s funding-focused conversations." (Introduction)
1. Decentralising Media Support for the World’s Majority -- 2. From Funding Crisis to Opportunity: Ideas and Solutions in a Post-USAID Landscape -- 3. Journalism or Public Interest Information? The Funder’s Next Frontier -- 4. Impact Investing: A New Frontier for Journalism Funding? -- 5. What Do Journalism Funders Want—and Why Are They So Focused on Business Models? -- 6. Philanthropy, Non-Profit Local News, and Established Media Organizations: A New Way to Think About Supporting News Ecosystems -- 7. Journalism Intermediaries: In the Way or Here to Stay? -- 8. Where’s the Money? -- 9. Democracy Defenders: A Conversation with Funders Investing in Independent Journalism
