Soft Launch of the Media Viability Accelerator  

Washington DC, May 3rd, 2024 – The Media Viability Accelerator (MVA) team is proud to announce the platform’s soft launch, set to coincide with World Press Freedom Day on Friday May 3, 2024. Following its Beta phase, the MVA will open for several hundred users, who will have access for the first time. The MVA is a free web-based platform designed to support independent media in becoming more financially sustainable. 

The MVA, led by USAID, Microsoft Corp and Internews, in collaboration with implementing partners Free Press Unlimited, GFMD, IREX, SembraMedia, and Thomson Reuters Foundation, has reached the significant milestone where it can welcome independent media approved by those MVA implementing partners. This builds upon the beta stage which saw approximately 50 platform users using the MVA to receive insights into their own data and revenue. Full public launch of the MVA is scheduled for September 2024. 

Independent media outlets known and trusted by MVA implementing partners should contact these organizations directly for access to the MVA. Other media outlets or organizations interested in the MVA can sign up here to receive more information and pre-register for MVA access when it is fully launched later this year.  

GFMD’s Executive Director, Mira Milosevic, commented:  

“GFMD warmly welcomes the Media Viability Accelerator’s expansion of access to more users, fostering a more inclusive media ecosystem. We anticipate the MVA empowering independent media with resources to thrive in a competitive digital landscape. With a shared commitment to democracy and transparency, we see the MVA as a catalyst for sustainable growth, vital for media outlets worldwide to uphold their essential societal role.” 

At UNESCO’s World Press Freedom Day Conference in Santiago, Chile, President of Internews and CEO of Internews IUS, Jeanne Bourgault will announce the Soft Launch of the MVA, as well as convening an environmental journalism panel ‘Uncovering Environmental Crimes in Tropical Ecosystems: Investigative Journalism and Press Freedom in Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America’.  

Commenting on the MVA launch today, Bourgault said: “This initiative is a key tool for preserving independent media so that citizens can make informed decisions, hold power to account and bolster democracy. It is incredibly exciting that we have arrived at this phase, after an impressive team of organizations and people have put in the groundwork to strengthen and develop this public-private partnership.”  

For further information, please contact: [email protected] 

Additional information:  

Throughout the weekend, MVA implementing partners will host events as part of World Press Freedom Day:  

Saturday May 4th: Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD) will convene a summit, titled ‘Latin America & Caribbean Summit: Fostering Trust and Collaboration for Journalism Sustainability and Safety’.  

Saturday May 4th: IREX will host a side event on ‘Youth Voices in the Face of Environmental and Information Pollution in Latin America and the Caribbean’. 

About the MVA  

The Media Viability Accelerator is a free web-based platform designed to support independent media in becoming more financially sustainable. The MVA aims to bolster media sustainability and resilience by supporting independent media outlets globally to:  

  • Measure business success,  
  • Benchmark their performance, and  
  • Access an ecosystem of ideas and support – particularly in regions where press freedom is under threat.  

For more information about the Media Viability Accelerator and how to get involved, please visit:  

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.