NEW YORK CITY – On Tuesday, September 19, in a special session featuring Secretary Hillary Clinton at the 2023 Clinton Global Initiative meeting, Jeanne Bourgault, President and CEO of Internews, launched the Internews Risk and Response Fund – a pioneering effort to support journalists and media outlets under existential threat.
Bourgault said: “Every year, from Sudan to Afghanistan, we answer as many urgent pleas as possible, but the scale of attacks against the media continues to grow. We at Internews have unique expertise and access, cultivated over 40 years of work, that allow us to provide a lifeline of support to reporters virtually anywhere, even in the worst circumstances. But we need flexible financial resources to be able to help with the speed that’s needed when a crisis strikes.”
The fund is a $10 million pool of resources that can be deployed with speed when a crisis strikes. The fund will also ensure Internews has unrestricted funds to cover the organizational risks and costs inherent in operating a multinational nonprofit with programs in the places that need information most.
Internews has successfully secured $2.5 million in funding but is now calling on donors to help it meet the ambitious target. With the funds already raised, Internews has provided urgent support in dire situations:
- When Russia invaded Ukraine, Internews was the first to deliver flak jackets and other safety equipment to journalists in occupied Kherson.
- When the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan, Internews provided emergency living stipends, flight support, and lodging to evacuate journalists at extreme risk.
- When the recent conflict broke out in Sudan, Internews provided urgent support to radio stations in Chad to distribute life-saving information for Sudanese refugees.
At the session on protecting freedom of the press, Secretary Clinton said: “I want to thank you for the commitments to action that are being made in this really important area, particularly Internews with its 10-million-dollar commitment for a Risk and Response Fund.”
“Our democracy, our people, and our planet need trustworthy information to survive – and we are immensely grateful to the Clinton Global Initiative for standing with us in our mission to support the truth and those who report it,” Bourgault said.
For further information, please contact [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.
Learn more at www.internews.org
About the Clinton Global Initiative
Founded by President Bill Clinton in 2005, the Clinton Global Initiative is a community of doers representing a broad cross-section of society and dedicated to the idea that we can accomplish more together than we can apart. Through CGI’s unique model, more than 9,000 organizations have launched more than 3,900 Commitments to Action — new, specific, and measurable projects and programs.
Learn more about the Clinton Global Initiative and how you can get involved at www.ClintonGlobal.org