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Independent media outlets are up against challenges ranging from low public trust to unstable revenue models, and they are vulnerable to political and technological changes – of which there have been many this year.
To overcome these obstacles, they need to think differently. IPI believes that innovation empowers media outlets to achieve editorial independence and financial sustainability.
Throughout 2023, we’ve put this theory into practice in three ways. Our aim is to equip media with the tools they need to adapt and thrive in their own context, and provide the space, funds and support network to test new ideas.
Incubator and Accelerator programs
A total of 37 media organizations representing 25 countries have taken part in IPI’s three innovation programs, which were tailored to media businesses in different regions and at different stages of growth. They’ve developed new revenue streams, launched audience-centered editorial products, and transformed their organizational structures.
But don’t take our word for it: Hear from four of the participants of the New Media Incubator in the video below, where they outline the key challenges they face and share how IPI has helped them.
Knowledge-sharing
IPI’s media innovation work goes beyond these intensive programs, and our team has showcased best practices and creative new ideas from editorial teams around the globe through case studies and in our regular newsletter The Outlook.
Our case studies uncovered how Spanish fact-checking outlet Maldita overhauled their onboarding process, how Ukraine’s Hromadske Radio leveraged AI to reach audiences during war, and what Austrian inclusive newsroom andererseits learned from the ‘mistakes’ they made on their innovation journey, which nevertheless lay groundwork for a crowdfunding campaign and diversifying into print products.
We also matched up industry experts with mentees eager to learn from them through a mentorship scheme which engaged 44 media practitioners from 32 countries. Applications are still open so you can also sign up for mentorship.
Community
IPI’s global network spans continents and brings together media with diverse business models, target audiences and editorial strategies. We have organized opportunities for peer-to-peer learning, including through virtual newsroom visits and through our Local News & Innovation Slack community (which you can join here).
We also held the first Media Innovation Festival in Vienna this spring, and next year, we’ll be back with the second edition in Sarajevo, Bosnia. Registration is already open! Under the theme Navigating Crises: Journalism at a Turning Point, we’ll be exploring how innovation provides a path to independence through sustainability.
Can you help us make our work even more relevant to newsrooms’ needs in 2024? Please fill out the survey below – it’s just 13 questions and should only take a few minutes. By completing the survey, you can enter our prize draw to win a one-hour consultation with IPI’s head of innovation and media business Ryan Powell.
IPI’s media innovation and sustainability work is made possible with support from the European Union, Friedrich Naumann Foundation and ERSTE Foundation.
