Media Innovation Europe: Independence Through Sustainability

ongoing

Today, independent media are facing multiple challenges: rising authoritarianism and hostility to media freedom as well as the disruption of media by the digital transition and economic threats. In order to fulfill their critical democratic and social function, independent media must be financially sustainable as well as able to engage audiences and able to serve the needs of their communities. The disruption of the digital transition has seriously challenged their ability to do so. Media Innovation Europe: Independence Through Sustainability is the consortium's continued answer to these challenges. The main objective of this project is to continue to build up the media innovation support infrastructure that ensures media outlets can innovate to engage audiences and serve the needs of their communities and support a financially sustainable media ecosystem with the means and resources to deliver public-interest news and withstand external pressures. The programme foresees ten structured activities: a mapping of best practices and experts, an accelerator for media with a clear business plan, an incubator for promising startups, a business consultancy for media in need of envisioning their transition, grants for audience-engaged journalism, two media business and editorial hackathons, a Europe-wide mentorship programme (peer-to-peer and media-to-media), information hubs to distribute knowledge and best practices, and networking events, including two innovation conferences. Each of five structured grant facilities and other support activities have a a common methodology and international, independent jury to select them. This project pools the strength of four organisations – IPI, Thomson Media, The Fix Foundation, and BIRN – with wide European journalism networks, extensive experience in running grant programmes and supporting media innovation, and deep familiarity with the needs and challenges of European media as they navigate this crucial transformation.