A business hub to support small and medium news organizations
Independent small and medium news media have an important role in a democracy but often struggle to survive on competitive markets. Washington-based International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) has launched a news business hub called Elevate to help these news organization to become financially viable and serve their communities well into the future. Eighteen news outlets – in six regions of the world – will receive tailored support from entrepreneurial leaders and experts as part of Elevate.
Elevate will work directly with key advisors and mentors: executives from the corporate world, technologists and journalism trainers, as well as a media investor and a university specializing in entrepreneurship.
“This team will work with Elevate participants to sharpen their skills and address specific pain points standing in the way of growth. The news outlets also will be eligible for grant funding from ICFJ to pursue innovative solutions to business challenges”, ICFJ says.
“We’re bringing together news leaders from all corners of the globe to learn not only from the experts but also from each other,” said ICFJ President Sharon Moshavi. “We’ll take the creative solutions they develop and share them more widely with our global network of journalists, creating a ripple effect that extends beyond this first cohort.”
ICFJ selected the 18 news organizations from 206 applicants, through a competitive three-stage process that considered each candidate’s fit for the program and regional diversity. The outlets focus on a variety of types of journalism, from local news and political coverage to fact-checking, technology and human rights. The vast majority reach their audiences first and foremost with online content.
On average, Elevate’s participants have six to 25 people in their newsrooms, and an annual revenue of more than USD 100,000.
The program will start in May and run for seven months and will focus on business strategy, operations and finance, technology and new media, and communications and marketing.
| Region | Organization | Country | Organization’s Focus |
| Africa | ICIR | Nigeria | Investigative |
| Africa | OrderPaper Nigeria | Nigeria | Politics |
| Africa | Technext.ng | Nigeria | Technology |
| Americas | Agência Lupa | Brazil | Fact-checking |
| Americas | Agência Mural de Jornalismo das Periferias | Brazil | Local/City/Region |
| Americas | Datasketch | Colombia | Data-journalism |
| Americas | El Pitazo | Venezuela | Local/City/Region |
| Americas | Foco | Panama | Politics |
| Americas | Ocote | Guatemala | Human Rights |
| Asia | OC Media | Georgia | Human Rights |
| Asia | The Centrum Media | Pakistan | Politics |
| Asia | The Morning Context | Singapore | Technology |
| Europe | Maldita.es | Spain | Fact-checking |
| Europe | Voxeurop | France | Local/City/Region |
| MENA (Middle East + North of Africa) | Donia Al Watan | Palestine | Politics |
| MENA (Middle East + North of Africa) | E7kky | Egypt | Gender |
| MENA (Middle East + North of Africa) | Teyit | Turkey | Fact-checking |
| Oceania | Fiji Sun | Fiji | Local/City/Region |
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