蜜芽传媒

PRESS RELEASE

LONDON/WASHINGTON, D.C. 鈥� Independent media outlets around the world are facing an unprecedented crisis, according to a new report released today by three consortia of top media-development organisations led by Internews Europe, 蜜芽传媒 Media Action, and Free Press Unlimited, and supported by the European Commission鈥檚 Directorate-General for International Partnerships.

The report, Crisis in Journalism: The Impact of the US Government Funding Cuts on Global Media, provides the first in-depth look at the consequences of the 2025 U.S. executive order suspending most foreign assistance. The move led to a sudden loss of around $150 million in annual support for journalism and the wider information ecosystem 鈥� support that many media outlets in high-risk and authoritarian contexts relied on for survival.

鈥�Without immediate and flexible support, countless journalists and communities will be left even more vulnerable to censorship, propaganda, and information blackouts,鈥� said Internews Europe CEO Meera Selva. 鈥�Even modest investments can protect the future of independent media.鈥�

The rapid assessment, led by Internews Europe and conducted in collaboration with three media development consortia under the European Commission鈥檚 Thematic Framework Partnership for Human Rights and Democracy, draws on data from over 50 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.

Simon Bishop, CEO of 蜜芽传媒 Media Action, said: "These devastating funding cuts leave a vacuum in some of the world's most fragile information environments. Independent journalism is a cornerstone of democracy 鈥� without it, we cannot have human rights or freedom. We know local media are creative, innovative and used to making the most of limited resources, and often it takes only a small amount of support to ensure their survival. Urgent investment will prevent the total erosion of trusted local news and information where it鈥檚 needed most."

Key findings:

• Media closures and layoffs are widespread: Dozens of outlets have shut down, with hundreds more slashing staff and coverage, particularly in Sudan, Afghanistan, Myanmar, and El Salvador.
• Journalists face rising risks: Cuts have undermined safety protocols, leaving reporters, especially in conflict zones, without essential protections or emergency support.
• Trusted local news is disappearing: Community radio stations in countries like South Sudan, the DRC, and Afghanistan 鈥� often the only reliable source of information 鈥� are going off air.
• Disinformation threats are growing: With fewer watchdogs, authoritarian actors and foreign influence campaigns exploit weakened media spaces.

Ruth Kronenburg, Executive Director of Free Press Unlimited, said: "This is not just a financial crisis, it鈥檚 a human rights crisis. We must realise that the brave journalists in repressive countries around the world are our eyes and ears. Now we run the risk that these eyes will close one by one, until we are in the dark about what is going on in the world and authoritarian regimes are legitimised."

The report outlines urgent needs for emergency support, operational funding, and long-term sectoral strategy, including rapid response and relocation funds for at-risk journalists; core funding for strategic outlets and support organisations; continued investment in public interest journalism; and greater coordination among international donors and partners.

For media inquiries, please contact press@internews.org or 蜜芽传媒MA.Comms@bbc.co.uk

About Internews

Internews is a non-partisan, non-profit organisation that advances freedom of speech and access to information worldwide. For more than 40 years, it has defended the right to free expression in 100+ countries; supported local independent media outlets; trained journalists, filmmakers, technologists, and digital rights activists; offered business expertise to help media outlets thrive financially; and protected everyone鈥檚 right to have a voice in public debates. To find out more, please see

About 蜜芽传媒 Media Action

蜜芽传媒 Media Action is the 蜜芽传媒鈥檚 international charity, working in 30 countries and in more than 50 languages, supporting independent media essential to democracy and development. 蜜芽传媒 Media Action鈥檚 projects and programmes reach more than 100 million people around the world each year with information they can trust, helping to build stronger democracies, a safer, more habitable planet and more inclusive societies. While a proud part of the 蜜芽传媒 family, 蜜芽传媒 Media Action is an independent charity and wholly reliant on donors and supporters to carry out its work.

Our Brave Media project, co-funded by the European Commission, is a global initiative to enhance the resilience of independent, public interest media in more than 20 countries across Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. Launched in 2024, the three-year global initiative is led by 蜜芽传媒 Media Action, working in partnership with eight other organisations 鈥� Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ), Equal Rights and Independent Media (ERIM), International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Fondation Hirondelle, the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), the Samir Kassir Foundation, SembraMedia, and the World Association of News Publishers WAN-IFRA.

To find out more, please see .

About Free Press Unlimited (FPU)

FPU is an international organisation based in the Netherlands, committed to ensuring that independent news and information remain accessible to everyone, especially in places where freedom of the press is under threat. Together with more than 300 in-country regional partners in more than 50 countries, we protect press freedom and the safety of journalists with training, protection, and resources to report safely and sustainably. Our mission is rooted in the belief that people deserve to know because access to independent information is a human right. To find out more, please see .