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Rappler CEO Maria Ressa and former BBC Director-General and New York Times CEO Mark Thompson are spearheading a global push to support public interest media organizations worldwide as co-chairs of the International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM).
Thompson, previously the director general of the BBC from 2004 to 2012 and president and CEO of the New York Times Company from 2012 to 2020, will co-chair with Ressa, 2018 Time Magazine Person of the Year and winner of the 2021 Unesco Press Freedom Prize, beginning Friday, October 1.
The IFPIM’s goal is to support independent journalism and the provision of trustworthy information around the world.
To do this, it will work to secure funding from government and private donors to public interest media organizations, with grants to be given to media in low- and middle-income countries at the regional level. The project will be guided by an independent board.
The aim of the IFPIM is to nurture and safeguard journalism, which is facing political attacks, financial challenges, as well as weakening business models.
Fund-raising for independent journalism
Sheetal Vyas, founding executive director of IFPIM, said it was now seeking to work with governments, tech giants, and other companies, development agencies, and philanthropists to raise an $100 million to start, in order to fund support for media outlets in low- and middle-income countries from 2022.
“Having co-chairs of the stature of Maria and Mark is a testament to the scope and ambition of the Fund, and a sign of the progress we’ve made,” said Vyas. “The International Fund makes supporting independent media simple, effective and most likely to develop the long term strategies that can address the business model collapse.”
On the media landscape, Ressa said, “If you can make people believe your lies, then you can control them. That’s what authoritarians are doing and that’s why it’s so critical we have vibrant independent media in every country, to uncover truth and hold power to account.”
“Fearless reliable journalism from independent media organizations is one of the essential pillars of democracy,” said Thompson.
“Without it, good governance, the rule of law, human rights and citizen engagement are all in peril, as is the world’s ability to come together to address shared existential issues like climate change and mass migration. I’m delighted to be joining this visionary new effort to bolster courageous, truthful journalism everywhere.” Thompson added.
UN Secretary-General supports IFPIM
The IFPIM has already received support from the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres.
One of the side-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the financial decline of public interest media organizations.
“With estimated losses of $30 billion over the last year for newspapers alone, some fear that the pandemic could become a ‘media extinction event,'” Guterres said in a Youtube video supporting the IFPIM.
“Maintaining independent, fact-based reporting is an essential global public good, critical to building a safer, healthier and greener future. Without urgent action by the international community, we could be left with irrevocable damage to our societies and irreparable threats to the Sustainable Development Goals,” he added.
Guterres urged member states, donors, and other stakeholders to support “this vital new endeavor.” – Rappler.com
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