Report: Informing the Initial Priorities of IFPIM

Informing the Initial Priorities of the International Fund for Public Interest Media IFPIM

Background

In November 2021, IFPIM approached the GFMD to conduct a survey of its members, partners, and other interested stakeholders to help inform the Fund’s priorities during its initial phase. This request followed a similar survey conducted by GFMD in 2019, which helped to shape the Fund’s establishment.

Since that time, much has changed, including the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, a continuing rise in authoritarianism, and ever-increasing pressures on newsrooms. This updated survey aimed to reflect these changes, gathering additional input towards shaping discussions on the allocation, distribution, and management of funding during IFPIM’s first two years (more information can be found in the sections below). The survey was successful gathered 173 responses in the course of three weeks.

Report was prepared for GFMD by Cara Stern.

Main findings and recommendations

An underlying theme running through responses is how can the Fund make a unique contribution to the media community, by:

  • Supporting media with limited opportunities to receive funding from other sources.

  • Providing support in ways that other funders cannot or do not.

  • Expanding access to quality information for underserved audiences.

  • Prioritising countries and themes where other funders are less active.

  • Providing a buffer between funding and any one particular funder.

  • Leveraging the collective power of the Fund’s own contributors.

In maintaining neutrality in the face of often complicated and conflicting perspectives, the report does not intend to sway the difficult decisions the Fund must make in moving forward. However, based on survey responses and respondent comments, it does make a number of additional recommendations towards the Fund’s next steps:

IMPACT of the survey:

Feb. 9 2022 - GFMD's Chair, Zoe Titus, presented the main findings of the IFPIM survey during the at the Global Conference for Media Freedom session "Scaling up Support to Independent Media".

8 April 2022 - GFMD's Chair, Zoe Titus, presented the main findings of the IFPIM survey during the at at a session at the Perugia International Journalism Festival: “The International Fund for Public Interest Media: where to from here?

Q1 & Q2 2022 - In the first half of 2022, leading up to IFPIM announcing its funding model and priorities at Unesco's World Press Freedom Day on 3 May 2022, the GFMD IMPACT team held a number of briefing meetings and discussions with the IFPIM team.

Executive summary

For more information read the report executive summary here.

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