Vienna, 21 October 2025 – IPI is excited to announce a specialized programme and partnership globalizing its media innovation support to global majority newsrooms by building on existing global training, funding and network development.
Thanks to an annual grant of $450,000 from the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, IPI’s Media Innovation Department will develop a specialized programme to help small and mid-sized independent news outlets in global majority countries navigate AI’s transformation of journalism while strengthening their business fundamentals and organizational resilience.
The eight-month accelerator adapts IPI’s funding and advisory model to address a critical gap: many independent media around the globe are working to assess AI’s risks and opportunities alongside growing revenue and deepening audience relationships, but face barriers in accessing necessary resources and networks.
“This unique partnership creates exciting opportunities for IPI to expand our global support for sustainable, resilient independent media, by working directly with news outlets to design tailored strategies that unlock new revenue streams and strengthen market relevance,” said Ryan Powell, IPI’s head of innovation and media business.
“The definition of success in this era of publishing is less about the speed of AI adoption, but how well it is integrated into workflows and how well it maintains journalism’s craft, community engagement and independence – ultimately supporting audiences’ access to public-interest news.”
The challenge
The next five years will determine which independent publishers remain viable. The deciding factors will not be technology alone, but how publishers deploy it alongside innovative revenue models and deeper audience engagement.
Small to mid-sized news outlets stand at an inflection point. Digital disruption, AI development and the capacity for small publishers to respond to these shifts have dismantled traditional revenue models while simultaneously opening new possibilities for reach, efficiency, and audience connection. The challenge is navigating this transformation amid the exogenous impacts of AI development while ensuring media organizations retain agency over how AI will reshape news formats, engagement, and revenue, all without large budgets or margin for error.
Programme design
IPI’s media innovation team will leverage existing regional and thematic expertise on AI adoption. The program will address these needs through four key learning pillars of AI adoption: (1) innovation and experimentation, (2) audience and financial risk management, (3) business development and (4) editorial strategies for engagement.
IPI will build on its current model leveraging access to a global network of media leaders and experts in innovation practice, new formats and business development. IPI’s approach will slot into existing expertise, support programmes and networks specializing in AI by developing an interdisciplinary pool of partners and resources that augments the capacity of newsrooms in specific countries and regions. The value-addition of a partnership-centric model offers long-term multipliers of trust, adaptability and verification. Partners may include university computer science departments, civil society, and regional media centers and experts.
IPI is firmly committed to the value of training, funding and network development in sustaining a healthy and free media ecosystem.
By equipping media organizations with the skills and tools to generate revenue, rebuild and strengthen audience relationships, and leverage technology, the programme supports their longer-term independence and resilience.
The first call for applications will be published in December 2025.
The basics:
- 8-month AI Accelerator
- Grants, project validation, access to expertise, coaching and network
- Up to 18 grantees
- Target: small to mid-sized independent media in global majority countries
- Seeking: partnerships and experts in AI adoption and development.
Are you an organization or expert interested in collaboration? Contact Ryan at rpowell[at]ipi.media.
The International Press Institute (IPI) is a global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists who share a common dedication to quality, independent journalism. Together, we promote the conditions that allow journalism to fulfill its public function, the most important of which is the media’s ability to operate free from interference and without fear of retaliation.
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