By Isabela Ocampo
How can media outlets in Latin America be supported? How can technological development, innovation and experimentation in media organizations be promoted?
These are some of the questions that the International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM) seeks to answer through its work in Latin America.
During the 18th Iberoamerican Colloquium on Digital Journalism on March 29, Vanina Berghella, IFPIM’s regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, presented lessons learned and results from the fund’s last two years of work after launching in the region in 2023.
IFPIM is a global multilateral fund that seeks to support public interest media, defined by Berghella as media outlets that exist to inform the public about relevant issues, provide reliable, independent, and transparent information, and which are committed to the pursuit of truth.
Berghella said that in 2023, the fund distributed more than $7 million across seven countries, including Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil.
“The work we are doing is not just about directly supporting a media outlet, but about supporting initiatives that think about solutions for systemic change,” Berghella said.
The work of the fund is unique and significant in Latin America because, according to Berghella, it provides diverse support to a wide range of media organizations, from digital platforms to legacy outlets.
“It’s not just about providing funding but ensuring that media can sustain themselves in the long term,” she stated.
The fund does not limit itself to covering only project costs but also provides support for organizational expenses such as salaries, rent, legal assistance, strategic planning, security protocols and initiatives focused on inclusion and diversity.
According to Berghella, IFPIM’s mission is strongly connected to the need for building sustainability in global media, especially given the fact that government and private sector funding for journalism remains very low.
A key focus of the fund is supporting media resilience and innovation. Additionally, it actively works to create systemic changes.
“We are exploring local philanthropic funding mechanisms in countries like Brazil and Colombia,” Berghella said. Similarly, she highlighted the need to change the narrative around philanthropy in the region.
“We need to rid ourselves of the idea that there is no philanthropy in Latin America,” she said.
Berghella emphasized the importance of mobilizing philanthropy in Latin American countries as an essential way to support public interest journalism.
“It is absolutely key,” she said. “It is the responsibility of each of us to sit down and speak one-on-one with business leaders and tell them: You have to support public interest journalism.”
As a method to mobilize support, Berghella said the fund seeks to create mechanisms that can “enable transparency and independent governance of media,” so that business leaders can trust in financing media organizations.
She said the organization is particularly proud of the innovative spirit of Latin American media, highlighting that despite challenging contexts, these outlets are developing cutting-edge technology and experimenting with new formats.
Through its work, Berghella explained the fund prioritizes understanding local contexts through ongoing conversations with journalist associations. Its support ranges from helping hyperlocal media survive to assisting national organizations in developing technological strategies and audience engagement initiatives.
Finally, Berghella pointed out that despite the many challenges facing media in Latin America—such as economic sustainability, loss of public trust, or structural limitations—she believes that today, compared to other regions, Latin American media are among the most innovative, particularly in areas of technological development and artificial intelligence.
“This is very important for internal processes within organizations, helping improve efficiency and newsroom dynamics,” she concluded.