Deadline: 14-Jun-23

DW Akademie wants to bring together 8 media viability experts from the Global South and Eastern Europe – The Media Viability Ambassadors: Together for strong media.

Why Media Viability Ambassadors?

• As a result of digital transformation and changing user habits, many media outlets around the world find themselves locked in an existential struggle. On top of that, the recent past has shown how exposed these media outlets are to additional shocks and disruptions, not only in fragile countries, but in every region of the world. In addition to the already existing challenges around eroding public trust, adapting to digitalization and finding new business models, these crises threaten media viability to an extent rarely seen before. As a result, editorial independence and media landscapes are under enormous pressure.
• To find ways out of this systemic crisis, media viability has to be tackled on different levels. Media viability consultancy for individual media organizations, for instance, is as important as shaping policy debates aiming at improved legal and political conditions for media ecosystems.
• Most importantly: extraordinary challenges need new ways of working together. They need to join forces, exchange experiences and come up with common ideas for solutions!

What you can expect?

• The Media Viability Ambassador program consists of 9 interactive online modules, which will take place on 2-3 half days each, every two weeks between August and December 2023. One module will be in-person over three full days (October 2nd to 4th, 2023) at the DW headquarters in Bonn, Germany. You will be invited to stay for two additional days (October 5th and 6th, 2023) for the FOME Symposium, the yearly international conference of the German Forum Media and Development, a network of institutions and individuals active in the field of media development cooperation.
• Within the modules, you will reflect on your work, enrich it with new tools and approaches, deepen your understanding of media viability and know how to market yourself as a media viability expert. Together with fellow Ambassadors, you will develop a media viability consultancy toolbox as well as an advocacy strategy for media viability. Upon successful completion of the program, you will officially become a Media Viability Ambassador.

What you commit to?

• There is no charge for participating in the program; travel and accommodation costs for the in-person event in Germany will also be covered, but you need to commit to attending all online and offline events and to working on tasks between modules, where needed.
• The whole program will amount to approx. 4 days/month of your time between August – December 2023. You will also be asked to give an input on your expertise in a particular area of media viability or in consultancy procedures during one of the modules.

Eligibility Criteria

• Candidates should have a good working knowledge of English and a proven track record of media industry-related experience (consultancy for media organizations, advocacy for media related issues on the policy level, media management, media research, etc).
• You should be well-connected within the media sector and be familiar with different aspects of media viability. You should be open to (self-)reflection and motivated to share your expertise with the group of participants.
• If you are a media consultant, advocate, entrepreneur, manager, or researcher who has dealt with media viability challenges in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, or the Middle East and consider yourself an expert in this field, they would like to hear from you!

For more information, visit Deutsche Welle Akademie.