The International Fund for Public Interest Media aims to enable global media markets to work for democracy.
of Truth
The issue
Around the world, independent public interest media is under threat. Traditional business models, which had been eroding for a decade or more, are beginning to collapse, particularly as sources of advertising revenue shrink and move online. These problems, which are most acute in low- and middle-income countries, were only exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through unlocking new financial resources to support public interest media in low- and middle-income countries, the International Fund hopes to address these challenges and forge a sustainable future for global media ecosystems.
The fund
The International Fund’s unique structure is designed to enable a broad multilateral coalition to unlock new resources in support of public interest media globally while maintaining the independence of both the Fund and its public interest grantees.
At the 2022 Paris Peace Forum, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna reaffirmed France’s commitment to the International Fund following President Macron’s endorsement of the Fund. France will host the International Fund’s headquarters in Paris and provide up to €15 million EUR in support to the Fund for between 2022 and 2024.
The International Fund is co-chaired by Maria Ressa, Nobel Peace Prize winner and co-founder and CEO of Rappler, and Mark Thompson, former president and CEO of The New York Times Company.
“Globally, only 0.2% of development funds go to media, and independent news groups will need help to survive the next few years of our information dystopia. This is why there is an effort to establish an International Fund for Public Interest Media.”
Maria Ressa
Co-chair-elect, IFPIM
Co-founder and CEO, Rappler
Our work
The International Fund supports media organizations and ecosystem-level interventions across four focus regions: Africa and the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Eastern Europe.
It aims to boost the economic resilience of independent media organizations in crisis, to support experimentation and innovation, and to bring about a new paradigm of sustainability for independent public interest journalism.
Focus areas
In addition to sustaining organizations in need of immediate financial support, the International Fund works across a series of cross-cutting focus areas — at both the outlet and ecosystem levels — to identify innovative approaches and strategies with the potential to enable healthy, resilient, and inclusive information ecosystems over the long term.
These areas include building more inclusive news ecosystems, reaching young audiences, and experimenting with emerging technologies.
Support for the fund
Leading up to its launch, the International Fund had received endorsements from a range of world leaders, including UN Secretary General Guterres, US President Biden, French President Macron, former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and former Ghanaian President John Kufuor.
Generous financial support from a range of government, corporate, and philanthropic donors has provided the resources needed to build and launch the International Fund, which will continue to scale up as additional funds are mobilized. To date, the International Fund has received nearly $50 million USD in financial contributions to support its set-up and launch, which is expected in the first half of 2023.
News & Resources
La Conférence internationale de haut-niveau pour l’intégrité de l’information et les médias indépendants réunira les dirigeants mondiaux dans le cadre du Forum de Paris sur la paix 2025
PARIS, le 16 septembre 2025 : Annoncée la semaine dernière, une conférence internationale de haut niveau, organisée par le Fonds international pour les médias d'intérêt public (IFPIM) et le Forum pour l'information et la démocratie (FID), deux initiatives ayant bénéficié du soutien du Président de la République et de l’appui du gouvernement français, réunira les 29 et 30 octobre une coalition élargie d'États et d’acteurs de la société civile et du secteur privé, engagés dans la défense d’une information libre et fiable. La Conférence se tiendra dans le cadre du Forum de Paris sur la Paix (PPF) 2025."
International Fund to Begin Funding Independent Nigerian Media Outlets in 2026
28 August, Accra: The International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM) announced today that it will include Nigeria among the countries where the Fund makes grants, expanding the global portfolio to 44 countries, including ten in Africa. The International Fund will undertake preliminary field assessments in coming months and will begin making grants to Nigerian independent media organizations as of 2026.
The International Fund Invites New Grant Proposals from Independent Media in Ukraine, Armenia and Moldova
Paris, 6 August: The International Fund has launched a new Open Call for proposals to support independent media in Ukraine, Armenia and Moldova*
Founders & funders
