What do journalism funders want—and why are they so focused on business model?
Fri 11 April 2025
17:00
Free
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The news media industry faces a structural crisis. While a few organisations have executed successful digital transformations, many are struggling. Public interest journalism is under particular strain, with local news outlets at greatest risk. A new wave of independent, entrepreneurial news organisations is seeking to fill the void. But these young ventures face the same challenges as their legacy peers and, as young organisations, even tougher odds. Many rely on philanthropic and development funding to navigate their journey toward sustainability. What drives funders’ choices? How do they decide which projects to back? Why do they pay so much attention to product-market fit and competitiveness?
In this panel, leaders from three major journalism funders will pull back the curtain on their decision-making processes. What criteria matter most? How can news organisations improve their funding applications—and build stronger, longer-lasting partnerships?
Moderated by Lucy Kueng.
Modified more than a month ago
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Festival Internazionale del Giornalismo
Il Festival Internazionale del Giornalismo di Perugia è un evento annuale che riunisce professionisti dei media, esperti di comunicazione e appassionati di informazione da tutto il mondo. Si svolge nel centro storico di Perugia e offre conferenze, dibattiti, workshop e opportunità di networking sui temi più rilevanti del giornalismo contemporaneo.
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Hotel Brufani
Dal 1884 il Sina Brufani è l'unico hotel 5 stelle lusso che domina il centro storico di Perugia con la sua vista panoramica sulle verdi valli dell'Umbria.
Kathy Im
Kathy Im is the Director of Journalism and Media at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation where she manages a $30 million annual portfolio that invests in the creation, dissemination, and amplification of accurate, just, and inclusive news and narratives across three areas of media -- Professional Nonprofit Reporting, Nonfiction Multimedia Storytelling, and Participatory Civic Media. She was instrumental in the creation and launch of Press Forward, and serves on the Advisory Board of the Media Forward Fund for the DACH countries. Kathy is also Chair of the Advisory Board for the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and previously, she was a board member of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Media Impact Funders, and the Center for Asian American Media, and a former juror for the Peabody Awards.
Martin Kotynek
Martin Kotynek is a journalist and the Founding Director of the Media Forward Fund which funds media diversity in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The goal is to contribute to more quality journalism with viable business models that publish strong, trustworthy content and are sustainably financed in the long term. Martin previously served as editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper Der Standard in Vienna, deputy editor-in-chief of Zeit Online in Berlin, investigative editor at Die Zeit, and political editor at Süddeutsche Zeitung in Munich. As a Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford University, Martin focused on innovation, leadership, and entrepreneurship in journalism. He studied neurobiology and was born in Vienna.