The Basics

IPI’s Local News Accelerator is a three-month programme where you and your media organization will build the skills to develop a sustainable media business. The accelerator will offer outlets the tools and guidance to learn how to reach audiences and empower your teams to build habits to grow into an engaged, responsive media brand.

Eligible media include:

• established and early stage media that bring regional, local and niche news to communities with limited access to independent coverage of issues relevant to them. 

• there are no geographic limitations – newsrooms from any country worldwide may apply.

• you have a clear challenge and are seeking to transform their journalism, products or business by investing in audience research, experimenting with new revenue models, deepening audience engagement, or investing in new content and distribution products. 

The challenges facing media – especially when it comes to local news – are clear. They range from technological disruption and changing consumer behavior to scarcity of economic and human resources. Media outlets must adapt to ensure their survival by identifying their specific challenges, developing a framework for delivering solutions and advancing their organizations towards business and editorial sustainability. 

Participants will develop the ability to use innovative practices in their internal editorial, business and product processes. This will equip teams to identify and address the most pertinent challenges faced by media organizations in their journey to sustainability. While connecting with the world’s leading media managers, you will gain valuable insights into reader revenues, product development and audience engagement.

Application deadline: 27 August 2023 [23:59]

Need more information? Sign up to our information session on 22 August here.

Why apply?

The accelerator has been designed to give established and startup media the structure and support to help get ideas off the ground and advance their projects toward sustainability. From our work with local, regional and niche publishers, we understand the key challenges you’re facing, and IPI’s in-house experts will conduct a comprehensive needs assessment and provide guidance throughout the journey for successful applicants to maximize their benefits from the programme.

The ultimate objective of this project is to provide lasting support for sustainable, independent media that are able to serve local communities in regions currently lacking sufficient access to pluralistic sources of news and information.

The format is based on IPI’s innovation learning journey, piloted through our 2023 Transition Accelerator, in which 15 publishers achieved measurable benefits such as growth in readership, doubling of subscribers, building new onboarding and engagement platforms and launching membership models. 

One key benefit communicated repeatedly from the group was that connections among the cohort allowed them to build solidarity with newsrooms in similar situations and share ideas. Learn about our 2023 Transition Accelerator participants and their success stories here. 

Key activities

• Intensive training covering audience research, journalism formats built for user engagement, digital business models and diversifying revenue models

• Access to an e-learning platform that houses recordings, training modules and discussion platforms

• Monthly “Ask Me Anything” sessions allowing attendees directly pose questions to industry experts and gain valuable insights

• One-on-one coaching sessions tailored to the needs of each newsroom

• Group coaching sessions with peers developing similar projects

• Speaker sessions based on themes determined in the needs assessments

• Access to a network of media innovators and local news practitioners

Selection Criteria and Eligibility

• You should be a media organization (no geographic limitations) and demonstrate a clear focus on serving local audiences, with news tailored to the specific needs of the local community. 

• You must produce original content in the public interest, be non-partisan and represent the interests of your target audience.

• Applicants must submit a proposal outlining a specific project (but it is anticipated that this project may evolve during the accelerator period)

• Your organization must have a team of at least two individuals who are willing to commit to accelerator activities throughout the three months (this is estimated at a time commitment of eight hours per week, divided between the team of two).

• The organization should demonstrate a commitment to producing quality original journalism, adherence to ethical journalism practices and commitment to press freedom.

• Your media should have a solid business case and understanding of their audience, ideally backed up by audience or market research.

• Your media should demonstrate a willingness to explore and implement new ideas, tools and technologies to enhance storytelling and audience engagement, while learning from experts and each other.

• Your media should have a clear vision for the future of their media organization, including plans for how they will grow, expand and/or adapt.

Selection process and timeline

Applicants can save the application form by clicking “save” and return to it until they have completed it and are ready to submit. They will be emailed a link to their application which they can return to until 27 August 2023 [23:59] . Once the application is submitted, it can no longer be edited.

Only applications in English received via the Jotform platform by the stated date and time will be considered. You will receive an email confirmation of your submission.

A jury comprised of internally appointed experts will select the projects to participate in the accelerator. Applications will be assessed based on the criteria established in the call.

If you’re not sure if you’re eligible, contact [email protected] or sign up for our upcoming info session here.

Past experience shows how important it is to build a diverse cohort and we encourage you to reach out if this sounds interesting to you!

The Local News Accelerator is made possible with support from the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF)