The International Fund for Public Interest Media (the Fund), Reporters without Borders (RSF) and the Forum on Information and Democracy (the Forum) have agreed “to develop as close a working relationship and synergies as possible between the three organisations.” 

The three organisations signed the Memorandum of Understanding at the Global Conference for Media Freedom in Tallinn, Estonia (9-10 February) where they were discussing the worsening threats to the freedom and viability of independent media worldwide. The enhanced relationship builds on existing collaborations between the three organisations and involves sharing advocacy platforms and tools. 

Christophe Deloire, RSF Secretary General, said: “The change of paradigm of the information ecosystem is so crucial that we need to renew global thinking, ambitions and strategies in an innovative and inclusive way. It’s critical that organisations like ours collaborate at a time when independent journalism is in danger. It’s our urgent duty to create the conditions of a positive future for the right to information.”  

Camille Grenier, Operations Manager for the Forum on Information and Democracy, said: “In its report A New Deal for Journalism, the Forum has called on governments to commit up to 1% of their overseas development aid (ODA) to independent media. The International Fund for Public Interest Media is a concrete mechanism to contribute to this objective.” 

James Deane, co-founder and acting Head of the International Fund for Public Interest Media said: “Collaboration is really key. The business model for independent media worldwide is broken – unless the international community comes together to help media to evolve and find new ways to make quality news pay, we will see an extinction event, weakening democratic societies everywhere.”

The new collaboration includes:

• Working together more closely on key global advocacy initiatives including the Forum’s New Deal for Journalism, a strategy for how independent journalism should be supported around the world. It includes The Fund as a solution to increasing the levels of global development aid for media.  
• The Fund using the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) developed by RSF and partners as a key due diligence mechanism to inform and guide its decisions as to which media organisations it will support in low and middle-income countries.
• The Fund formally agreeing to use RSF’s Press Freedom Index to guide its work, the location of its regional headquarters and the make-up of its Advisory Board.     

The closer relationship enshrined in the MoU builds on existing collaborations between the three organisations. Each has advocated on behalf of the others; the Forum and RSF have been members of the Fund’s advisory committee; and the Fund’s co-chair Maria Ressa has been heavily involved in the Initiative on Information and Democracy launched by RSF.