Internews Europe is pleased to announce the launch of the Advancing Global Innovation and Learning Effectively to Build Resilience in Independent Media (AGILE) project. AGILE is the first major specific grant awarded under the new Thematic Framework Partnership Agreement for Human Rights and Democracy between the consortium led by Internews Europe and the European Union.
AGILE, which commits €10.5m over four years, will enable Internews Europe and its consortium partners Canal France International, Thomson Media, ARTICLE 19, and Fojo Media Institute, with the support of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships, to support independent journalism in countries where media freedom is under acute attack.
This project launches at a time when it is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain healthy information ecosystems, in which ordinary people can access reliable, trustworthy news and information that will enable them to make informed decisions about their lives. It will encourage innovation in AI and technology, and enable newsrooms to experiment with new techniques on collaboration and climate change reporting. It will also enable journalists and other actors to protect themselves online and help the sector develop techniques for dealing with stress and trauma.
Most importantly, AGILE will establish a global knowledge sharing network, to ensure the voices of journalists around the world are central to the project’s work, ensuring any learnings can be shared with the media development sector, donors, and media organizations worldwide. In particular, the network will help all stakeholders learn how to proactively prepare for crises, rather than simply react to them.
The AGILE project will provide over €1.79 million in direct financial support to independent media, journalists, and civil society organizations. This funding will help promote the production of high-quality, evidence-based, and inclusive news in various formats that meet community needs. The proposed sub grants also aim to foster inclusivity and representation in reporting, support the inclusion of marginalized journalists in newsroom and editorial leadership roles, and strengthen financial resilience and sustainability across the sector
Meera Selva, Internews Europe CEO, said: “AGILE is game changing for Internews Europe and ensures we and our consortium partners can work closely with the European Union to ensure that independent journalism is given a chance to survive.”
Selva continued: “We recognise that there is an increasing demand for flexible, adaptive and innovative support for at-risk journalists and media outlets and we look forward to building best practices to achieve this.”
For further information, please contact Mollie Letheren Smith: [email protected]
About Internews
Internews is a nonprofit that supports independent media in 100 countries. Internews trains journalists and digital rights practitioners, tackles disinformation, and offers business expertise to help media outlets thrive financially. For 40 years, it has helped partners reach millions of people with trustworthy information that saves lives, improves livelihoods, and holds institutions accountable.
Find out more at internews.org