Deadline: 13-Jun-22
The International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM) is now open to support independent public interest media especially in low and middle income settings and to support long term systemic solutions to the current conditions that prevent independent media financing themselves.
The Fund aims to dramatically increase the amount of resources available to support trustworthy, ethical, fact-based journalism, and enable the media to work for democracy.
Significant progress has been made with this fund, and while still in its early stages of establishment, it has secured sufficient funding to launch an initial small scale call for proposals. This call for proposals is the first of a series of funding opportunities.
IFPIM defines Public Interest Media as media that:
- Is free from censorship and independent.
- Exists to inform publics on the issues that shape their lives in ways which serve the public’s rather than any political, commercial or factional interest.
- Enables public debate and dialogue across society.
- Holds those in power to account on behalf of the public interest.
It implies a focus on ethical and credible media working in the interests of all people across all of society, not just those who have the power or money to pay for or influence media. Public interest media can be commercial, public service or community media and distributed online, broadcast, through print or other channels.
Objectives
This first funding call is designed as part of a long term strategy to sustain as well as rebuild public interest media at a time of intense economic pressure with a view to ensuring continued support to journalism in the public interest and expanding audience reach and relationships.
For this first call, applications for funding should relate to one or more of the following objectives:
- The continued production and dissemination of public interest media reporting to sustain its role and impact in society in the context of adverse market conditions and critical funding needs
- The development of ambitious approaches to address disinformation challenges in societies, including by testing new forms of engagement with audiences and by partnering with other actors in the media ecosystem or civil society
- The increase of audience reach and engagement, including those that seek to address the needs of underserved audiences
- The improvement of representation of society in the media ecosystem including by promoting diversity in the newsroom and through coverage of under-reported issues and communities
Funding Information
Grants will be provided over a period of up to 2 years. They expect the majority of grants to be in the range of $80,000 to $350,000.
Geographical Focus
In this first call, concept notes are invited from media organisations with a strong record of public interest journalism in the countries listed below.
- Sub-Saharan Africa: Ghana, Kenya, Niger, Senegal, Sierra-Leone, South Africa
- Middle East and North Africa: Lebanon, Tunisia
- Caribbean, Central and South America: Brazil, Colombia, Mexico
- Asia and Pacific: Afghanistan, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines
- Eastern Europe: Georgia, Ukraine
Eligibility Criteria
- Grants are only available to media organisations (one or more media organisations may apply together) but are not available to individuals or to other actors in the media ecosystem for this funding call.
- Media organisations are defined as organisations with a registered legal entity engaged in producing and disseminating information to the general public through a medium of mass communication.
- Both for-profit and not-for-profit media organisations can apply for funding. Applicants must have current revenues of at least $50,000 per year to apply.
- They expect most applicants to have revenues well in excess of $50,000 per year.
For more information, visit https://opencall.ifpim.org/