Cape Town Former editor-in-chief of the Mail & Guardian newspaper in South Africa, co-founder of the online publication The Daily Vox, and newly elected chair of the International Press Institute’s global Executive Board, Khadija Patel, explained to AllAfrica’s Andre van Wyk why the International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM) is an essential first step in addressing the funding crisis faced by independent, public interest media.
Please briefly introduce yourself and explain how you became involved with the IFPIM.
I co-founded the Daily Vox as a South African journalist who rose through the ranks of digital start-ups. Later, I managed the Mail & Guardian for four years in South Africa. Working as a journalist made me aware of the enormous difficulties journalists in South Africa and other countries face. The International Fund’s objective to develop workable solutions to the financial issues afflicting the industry motivated me. Above all else, the International Fund represents hope for an improved news industry.
What do you think will change most as a result of the IFPIM?
IFPIM was established to address the financial challenges facing important public interest news organisations. In response to our initial open appeal last year, primarily due to the industry’s flawed financial model, we received hundreds of submissions from media organisations doing amazing work in the field but in need of funding.
The response we got demonstrates the significance of the work done by IFPIM, which supports media organisations financially and works to find long-term solutions to the sector’s economic problems. We at IFPIM aspire to contribute to a more robust media ecosystem supported by trustworthy and viable financing sources and business models.
Which problems do independent media organisations in low- to middle-income nations face the most acutely?
Many media outlets need help to stay in business in low- and middle-income nations. Large technological businesses have taken over the business structures that once sustained media ecosystems, leading many media outlets to shut down or scale back. The epidemic made this issue much more serious. Since they frequently have less access to non-commercial sources of funding, independent media organisations in low- and middle-income countries around the world are particularly concerned by shrinking income streams.
There are also concerns associated with financial insecurity in these areas, such as media capture. Many media organisations must deal with government repression and hostility that aims to intimidate and control the media, usually through legislation that makes it challenging for media organisations to operate. Media organisations are susceptible to interests that pull them further from meeting the public’s information demands if they need more stable, dependable sources of revenue.
What more, in honour of World Press Freedom Day, do you believe ought to be done to safeguard journalists from vexatious corporate and governmental interests?
In order to keep the powerful accountable and ultimately promote a functioning and vibrant democracy, the press is essential. Citizens can eventually only make educated judgements with a free press and open access to information. It is crucial to make sure that the press can operate without fear of violence, intimidation, or interference.
Only last year, hundreds of journalists were detained for nothing more than rendering a public service. To prevent bad actors from employing threats or coercive measures to suppress journalists, we must ensure that press freedom is safeguarded and that these safeguards are codified in international law. Through programmes like IFPIM, it is crucial to guarantee that journalists have access to the financial resources they require to keep funding their crucial work.
