We asked respondents to indicate the main changes and challenges that have affected the sector.
Changes and challenges that have affected the sector
Motivations for funding journalism
Position of journalism and media funding
Changes
76% of respondents who answered this question identified the rise of digital platforms and the growing role of social media in news dissemination as a major change. The top 3 other frequently cited changes in the written comments were the economic sustainability of journalism, heightened concerns about misinformation (also reflected elsewhere in the survey and among the main motivations to fund this area), and shifting public trust in traditional media outlets.
In the spontaneous responses, one funder questioned the relevance of journalism, while another noted that philanthropy itself is a cause of constant change in the media sector:
- “Journalism is falling in relevance; it lacks sustainable models and no longer has the same agenda-setting role.”
- “Not only is there an overall reduction of funding for journalism, more than just the US public funding cuts: There is also the constant change of strategy and focus areas within philanthropy causing unstable opportunities for journalism.”
Challenges
Mirroring these changes, 2 challenges emerged most frequently: sustaining viable journalism business models amid broader industry instability, and scaling support appropriately to meet grantees’ needs.
In the text responses, funders found it challenging to make the case for more funding for the field, both internally and externally. One attributed this to a lack of awareness: “We need to train and acculturate the staff to the sector of journalism.”
Lastly, one funder noted a growing worry about the future of local newspapers and its impact on democracy: “We face a growing worry about the future of local news in our country, which is very important to democratic health at the local level. A similar situation was seen some years ago in our neighbouring country, where one foundation had to acquire over 100 local newspapers to ensure their future.”
Change impacting budgets for journalism and media
Motivations for funding journalism
Position of journalism and media funding
There is evidence of increased funding for journalism and media:
- Half of organisations in this sample (52%) increased their budgets in 2024
- Over 1/3 indicated they would further increase their budget in 2026.
- A few (12%) reported having decreased or were planning to decrease their budgets, and about 1/3 (36%) maintained stable funding levels in 2024, with a majority (53%) expecting to keep budgets steady in 2026.
- When looking at the size of the organisations that anticipated a budget change in 2026, those intending to decrease and increase their budget both include some of the largest and the smallest organisations in this sample.
It is worth noting that the survey was conducted shortly after the USAID funding freeze. Responses may therefore not fully capture its effect on organisations, and it is likely that the impact continued to unfold in subsequent months and into this year.
Reasons for budget changes
Looking at changes in 2024, the primary reason for decreasing funding was a shift in strategic focus.
Increases in funding were justified by a heightened sense of urgency, particularly concerning democratic backsliding, the worsening information disorder, and the journalism crisis: “It was a conscious strategic decision to support journalism and media organisations and strengthen the information ecosystem as key pillars of fully functional democracies.”
For some, increases were enabled by overall budget growth or team expansion. One organisation reported that the increase was driven by internal interest and momentum among staff, including newly hired former journalists.
The reasons for decreasing or increasing funding in 2026 remained largely the same as for the previous years. An observable new reason for a decrease is the loss of USAID funding while a new reason mentioned for the increase of funding was the need to support new collaborations, and experiment with new formats: “It's a deep need for support among several media newsrooms to make independent journalism, investigative journalism, new collaborations within the countries, and cross border-collaborations including experimenting with new formats. We also see that many of the documentary films we support reach a global audience.”
Another interesting entry was a foundation that managed to increase its budget by fundraising with previously unengaged high-net-worth individuals and family foundations.
Changes in strategy
In light of the transformations that have occurred, have you changed your approach to funding media and journalism, and if yes, could you tell us how?
Besides a budgetary shift, many funders also indicated a change in strategy in light of the transformations in the field. Most frequently mentioned was a shift from short‑term emergency aid toward strengthening long‑term media viability and resilience through diversified support models:
“We started out as an emergency relief fund for newspapers and magazines in the 70s. Back in the day when business models were steady, legacy companies would get a subsidy, often as a loan, until they got back on their feet. In the last ten years, we evolved into a fund that helps every organisation in the journalism sector reinvent its value in a myriad of ways.”
Conversely, some have started to, in addition to their own resources, fundraise for media and journalism within the philanthropic, private and public sectors:
- “We actively decided we needed to scale up and thus start fundraising (which we didn't do before).”
- “We now try to influence other foundations as well as public authorities to mobilise more money for public interest media.”
Aligned with the perceived rise of digital platforms and the growing role of social media in news dissemination, a few funders reported integrating their digital and journalism funding programmes while others have increased their work around coping with Big Tech or holding it accountable:
- “In our new strategy, our digital portfolio and journalism portfolio are much more closely aligned and inform each other instead of being two separate, isolated strands of work.”
- “We have an increasing focus on tech accountability, the role of platforms, and how AI is impacting the media.”
Lastly, several funders added protection for journalists themselves, including their families, especially in adversarial contexts:
- “We have started to go more in direct dialogue with journalists to listen to their everyday challenges, like funding expenses regarding personal safety during projects.”