IPI’s call for applications to our Local News Accelerator 2024 is now closed. We thank everyone who took the time to apply. We appreciate the work you do in your communities, your interest in the call and the effort you put into the project applications. This year, we had the pleasure of learning about a wide range of project ideas, proposing strategies to diversify revenue, ways to develop new products covering marginalised communities, as well as providing training to staff and youth.
The jury has thoroughly reviewed all applications, and all applicants will be informed of the outcome by July 31. A public announcement of successful newsrooms will be made at a later date.
What’s next?
The 2024 Local News Accelerator is part of IPI’s media innovation programme and supports digital innovation in local journalism’s editorial and business models around the world.
This year we received 80 applications from over 25 countries, from startups to established media. With the second iteration of this programme, we are excited to see the continued interest from local and niche news organizations. Local media are key in shaping a more diverse media landscape to better serve the needs of their audiences. IPI’s innovation team strives to create supportive and inclusive structures for this journey.
The programme will follow a five-month curriculum designed to support local newsrooms getting started or pivoting their business with the structure and support to identify and deliver solutions that will advance their projects toward financial and editorial sustainability. From our work with local, regional and niche publishers, we understand the key challenges you’re facing. IPI’s in-house experts will conduct a comprehensive one-on-one needs assessment and provide guidance and personalized advisory services to the selected applicants setting them up to maximize the benefits of the programme.
The format is based on IPI’s innovation learning journey, piloted through our 2023 Local News Accelerator, in which publishers from around the world, including Indonesia, Ecuador, Uganda, South Africa and others, achieved measurable benefits such as growth in readership, doubling of subscribers, building new onboarding tools and engagement channels and launching membership models with impactful crowdfunding campaigns.
One of the key benefits communicated repeatedly by the group was that building connections among the cohort allowed them to create a community and share ideas with media operating in similar contexts and facing common challenges.
📝Learn about the Local News Accelerator 2023 participants and their success stories
- Make sure not to miss our future programmes’ announcements! Stay up-to-date by signing up for our bi-weekly newsletter The Outlook.
- For any questions about the accelerator or IPI’s innovation work, email [email protected].
IPI’s Local News Accelerator is made possible with support from the Friedrich Naumann Foundation.
