AGILE Against the Odds: Backing Innovative Income Streams for Independent Media

Independent media in Brazil and Colombia is facing an urgent crisis of traditional business models alongside a deteriorating security environment, according to new audience landscape studies and security assessments commissioned by Thomson Media. 

The research was carried out under AGILE (Advancing Global Innovation and Learning Effectively to Build Resilience in Independent Media), a global project co-funded by the European Union and delivered by a consortium led by Internews Europe, with partners Thomson Media, ARTICLE 19, Fojo Media Institute and CFI Media Development. In its first phase, Thomson Media has commissioned audience landscape studies and security assessments in Brazil and Colombia.  

Main findings at a glance

• Independent outlets in both countries show high exposure to financial shocks, with heavy reliance on external and often unpredictable support.
• In Colombia, the research agency Mirador report on digital-native media found 63% of outlets are not financially self-sustaining.
• In Brazil, research found 60% of participating organisations earn under 500,000 Brazilian Reais annually (approx. 92,600 USD), and 26% reported no revenue.
• The security profile differs by country: Colombia shows high levels of physical risk, while Brazil’s independent media reports judicial harassment and legal intimidation as a major pressure. 

Access the full Audience Landscape Study and Security Assessments here: https://www.thomsonfoundation.org/latest/agile-against-the-odds-backing-innovative-income-streams-for-independent-media/