The Samir Kassir Foundation (SKF) unveiled three media sustainability initiatives during a BRAVE Media webinar focused on revenue diversification. The event, part of a peer-to-peer webinar series organised by WAN-IFRA, highlighted the foundation’s work to balance editorial independence with economic viability amid shrinking donor funding and market competition.
SKF’s Agency for Equality, Skroll, and Soora were presented as practical tools to help media outlets navigate an environment where traditional revenue models are increasingly unstable. The foundation emphasized that these initiatives aim to reduce dependency on unpredictable donor support while preserving journalistic integrity. “Donor funding remains essential for public-interest journalism, safety, innovation, and capacity building,” SKF said. “But media organisations must increasingly diversify their income streams to reduce dependency and strengthen their editorial independence.”
The Agency for Equality, launched to connect independent media with advertising and communications markets, challenges the notion that commercial partnerships compromise public-interest journalism. By leveraging editorial strength, the initiative enables outlets to access advertising opportunities without sacrificing their mission-driven values. “We saw an opportunity to help independent media maximise their potential by leveraging their creative and production strengths to access advertising and communications markets,” SKF explained, noting that ethical partnerships are central to the program’s design.
Skroll, an independent media aggregator, addresses the challenge of visibility in a fragmented digital landscape. By pooling resources and creating collective discoverability, the platform reduces the burden on individual outlets to compete with algorithm-driven platforms. “Skroll was built on the belief that independent media are stronger when they are more discoverable collectively,” SKF said, noting that it helps audiences access credible journalism while reducing the visibility challenges created by fragmented digital platforms and algorithms.
Soora, a platform for photojournalists, tackles the undervaluation of visual storytelling. Designed to connect photographers directly with buyers, the initiative ensures creators retain full earnings from their work. “Photojournalists play a vital role in documenting social, political, and humanitarian realities, yet many struggle to secure fair compensation for their work despite growing demand for high-quality visual storytelling,” SKF noted, highlighting the growing demand for visual journalism in conflict zones and humanitarian crises.
The BRAVE Media program, led by BBC Media Action and co-funded by the European Commission, brings together nine organisations to support independent media through mentoring, technical support, cross-regional learning, innovation, and financial assistance. WAN-IFRA’s role in organising the webinar series underscores the consortium’s focus on cross-regional learning and practical solutions.
SKF’s approach aligns with broader efforts to redefine media sustainability. The foundation’s emphasis on collaboration and decentralized models contrasts with traditional top-down support structures. “Collaboration has been fundamental, as sustainable solutions for independent media increasingly require partnerships that bring together diverse expertise, resources, and perspectives,” SKF said, adding that the initiatives’ principles—shared infrastructure, collaborative visibility, and diversified revenue—could apply to media ecosystems worldwide.
Despite progress, challenges persist. Journalists in regions like Lebanon and Palestine continue to operate under extreme conditions, using makeshift tools to report on conflicts and societal issues. SKF cited examples of media platforms evolving from social media pages into influential voices in public discourse, illustrating the adaptability of independent journalism.
Looking ahead, SKF advises media organizations to focus on incremental growth, leveraging their core strengths while testing mission-aligned revenue opportunities. “We have learned that financial sustainability and editorial independence are not competing objectives but mutually reinforcing conditions for producing impactful public-interest journalism,” the foundation stated, framing its work as part of a global effort to ensure trusted, independent information remains accessible.
The Samir Kassir Foundation’s initiatives reflect a growing trend in media support: prioritizing locally driven solutions that address immediate needs while fostering long-term resilience. As donor funding becomes more constrained, the success of models like Agency for Equality, Skroll, and Soora may offer a blueprint for other regions facing similar challenges.
