Media Innovation Europe is a new initiative empowering newsrooms to achieve editorial independence and financial sustainability.
Media Innovation Europe (MIE) is managed by a consortium led by the Vienna-based International Press Institute (IPI) with the Kyiv-based The Fix Foundation, the Berlin-based Thomson Media and the Sarajevo-based Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN). Since launching in 2022, MIE has supported over 100 European newsrooms and media practitioners.
Consortium Activities and Grants
The International Press Institute (IPI) is a global network of editors and leading journalists from over 100 countries, who share a common dedication to quality, independent journalism. IPI’s Media Innovation and Sustainability portfolio supports independent media organizations through innovation practice and business development.
Grow your media, faster
The Transition Accelerator supports established or legacy digital media outlets in Europe for digital transformation and audience-centered solutions.
- Grants up to €20,000 to up to 18 established newsrooms
- Direct needs assessment
- 8 months of online group training, personalized coaching and solutions development
- 3 days in-person bootcamp in Vienna
Build a sustainable foundation for your media
The New Media Incubator supports early-stage European media organizations in taking their news product to the next level by designing, launching and growing their organization.
- Grants up to €15,000 to up to 15 early-stage media
- Direct needs assessment
- 8 months of online group training and workshops
- Personalized coaching
- 3 days in-person bootcamp in Vienna
Connect with industry leaders and engage in peer-to-peer learning
Media Innovator’s Mentorship matches journalists and media innovators to share expertise and advice on anything from media management to audience engagement and product development.
- Expert Mentoring (one-on-one)
- Peer Mentoring (newsroom-to-newsroom)
Thomson Media gGmbH, an international not-for-profit organisation, is at the forefront of strengthening media skills worldwide. Working with governments, philanthropic and institutional donors, Thomson Media delivers high-calibre, hands-on training for media and public communication practitioners, focusing on practical skills and real-world reporting.
Boost your financial resilience
The programme by Thomson Media targets mid-sized, regional and local media outlets to provide strategic guidance and technical assistance towards business viability.
- Grants up to €30,000 to 5 media organisations with developed and validated business plans or strategies
- Personalized business mentoring for strategy development
- Trainings on digital growth, new revenue streams and AI applications
Unlock Innovation
Thomson Media’s programme for European media outlets, networks, and content creators to receive tailor-made support to validate business ideas focused on innovative digital products and services.
- Grants up to €5,000 to 16 media organisations and independent creators
- 6-month of online trainings and workshops
- One-on-one mentoring and business coaching
- Testing assumptions AND validating concepts
➤ Innovation Hub
About the Hub
Join a two-day onsite workshop to collaborate with senior media professionals and business development experts to explore and develop new media ideas, topics, and digital solutions.
- Collaboration with senior media professionals and business development expert
- Development of new media ideas, topics, and digital solutions
- Best teams and ideas advance to the Validation Booster Programme
Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) is a network of non-governmental organisations promoting freedom of speech, human rights and democratic values in Southern and Eastern Europe.
Reach your audience in new ways
Media outlets in the Balkans and Visegrad countries can apply for grants, training, mentoring, and access to BIRN’s innovative audience-engagement digital tool.
- Grants for individual stories of up to €5,000
- Grants for cross-border stories of up to €10,000
- Training and mentoring
- Access to an audience engagement tool
Stichting The Fix Media Foundation aims to support free press and media in Ukraine and Eastern Europe, and to build a more resilient and connected European media community.
Innovativation hackathon
Media Blend is a media hackathon designed to promote innovation in journalism.
- 3 days intensive hackathon with industry experts
- Travel grants for 10 selected teams to the hackathon
- €5,000 each for 3 winning teams to launch their projects
- Pitch coaching and personalized mentorship
FAQ — About Media Innovation Europe
What is Media Innovation Europe?
Media Innovation Europe (MIE) is a project supporting innovation in European newsrooms. The International Press Institute and partner organizations guide media through innovation and business development to achieve financial, technical and editorial sustainability. Activities include a mix of skills development, coaching, strategic advice, funding and networking.
Media Innovation Europe is managed by a consortium led by the Vienna-based International Press Institute. The consortium includes the Kyiv-based The Fix Foundation, the Berlin-based Thomson Media and the Sarajevo-based Balkan Investigative Reporting Network.
The project aims to provide newsrooms with time, space and access to expertise to help them more deeply understand the challenges they face, build products to reach new audiences and take pragmatic steps toward financial sustainability. Newsrooms will participate as teams of three, including product developers, engineers, editors, journalists, marketing and sales staff and publishers.
MIE supports publishers’ proposals up to but not limited by the following themes:
- enriching storytelling through technology
- launching a new product or distribution format
- implementing a digital transformation strategy
- Increasing trust and engagement with users
- identifying and implementing revenue diversification opportunities
The project serves the European media market by strengthening existing media organisations and fostering new media ventures whose mission is independence and building trust.
- The development of audience-centric products or services, with a focus on news gathering, crowd-sourcing revenues, and the creating or distribution of an outlet’s reporting with the goal of revenue diversification and building deeper engagement with target audiences.
- Strategy for digital transformation in an existing newsroom or other organizational plans leveraging innovation for sustainability and increased competitiveness that ultimately grow the quality of independent news ecosystems worldwide.
What are Media Innovation Europe’s activities?
MIE is implementing a mixture of training, coaching, grants and open programmes to reach a broad range of media outlets, innovators and entrepreneurs focusing on new media. These programmes include:
- Transition Accelerator
- New Media Incubator
- Deep-Dive Business Consultancy
- Audience-Engaged Journalism Grants
- Hackathons for Journalism Innovation
- The Validation Booster
- Media Innovator’s Mentorship
- Networking opportunities and exchange platforms
Who runs Media Innovation Europe?
Media Innovation Europe is managed by a consortium led by the Vienna-based International Press Institute. The consortium includes the Kyiv-based The Fix Foundation, the Berlin-based Thomson Media and the Sarajevo-based Balkan Investigative Reporting Network.
I have a project-related question or feedback. Who should I contact?
If you have questions or want to share your feedback on the Media Innovation Europe project, please reach out to the following contact persons, or read here for more details:
- Alina Zivanovic, [email protected], at the International Press Institute (responsible for Transition Accelerator, New Media Incubator and Mentorship programmes).
- Nermina Sadikovic [email protected], at Thomson Media (responsible for the Deep-Dive Business Consultancies)
- Mariia Zaremba, [email protected], at the Fix Foundation (responsible for Media Hackathons).
- Karla Junicic, [email protected], BIRN (responsible for the Audience-Engaged Journalism Grants).
I don’t know which programme is right for my newsroom. How can I clarify?
If you have questions or want to share your feedback on the Media Innovation Europe project, you can sign up for the upcoming info session, or reach out to the following contact persons, or read here for more details:
- Alina Zivanovic, [email protected], at the International Press Institute (responsible for Transition Accelerator, New Media Incubator and Mentorship programmes).
- Nermina Sadikovic [email protected], at Thomson Media (responsible for the Deep-Dive Business Consultancies)
- Mariia Zaremba, [email protected], at the Fix Foundation (responsible for Media Hackathons).
- Karla Junicic, [email protected], BIRN (responsible for the Audience-Engaged Journalism Grants).
Supported by:
