Welcome to The Leading Question, an initiative of Internews. Each month, we explore a question about the state of today’s media and connect you to the people who are shaping the answer.
The April issue of The Leading Question will be published later this month. Today’s newsletter is a special edition!
In this special edition of The Leading Question: How did last week’s Summit for Democracy push the issue of press freedom?
On March 29-30, the governments of the United States, Costa Rica, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Zambia co-hosted the 2023 Summit for Democracy. This global event assembled government leaders, private sector representatives, and civil society groups to organize collective action to address the challenges facing democracies worldwide.
Press freedom was one of the most prominently discussed issues – and Internews brought two important initiatives to the table.
The Media Viability Accelerator
We announced a new public-private partnership with Microsoft and USAID to develop the Media Viability Accelerator, a web-based platform to help independent news media around the world become financially sustainable. This is a critical step at a time when local media outlets face extinction and news deserts proliferate.
Microsoft’s Vice Chair and President Brad Smith and USAID Administrator Samantha Power joined Internews President and CEO Jeanne Bourgault at the announcement event. Read the press release below and learn more about this exciting initiative.