In 2021, Free Press Unlimited, together with UNESCO and the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), conducted consultations in ten countries on the feasibility of possible solutions to preserve media viability without compromise to editorial independence and the integrity of journalism.

The countries were Brazil, El Salvador, Indonesia, Jamaica, Lebanon, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal and Tunisia. In particular, the income streams and business models of media, access to (online) advertisement, the impact of big tech, and the way independent media are affected by the contexts in which they operate, were highlighted.

Based on the lessons learned in these consultations, 5 webinars were organised that brought together media outlets from different countries, but who face similar challenges and who offer inspiring solutions.

In the pages below, you will be able to find these webinars. They contain valuable lessons on:

• Monetizing Trust: Best practices for a membership model
• (Native) Advertising by Niche Media
• Reselling Content: Turning editorial content into saleable and scaleable products
• Community Radio: diversifying income models
• Fact Checking as a Business Model

In addition, you can find a searchable knowledge database containing the information that was learned in the national consultations.