IFJ launches fund supporting public interest journalism in Palestine
The fund will provide $1m to media organisations in Palestine and aims to protect the future of media amid ongoing conflict in the region.
The National Union of Journalists has welcomed news of a project launching on 1 August providing organisations that demonstrate a commitment to transparency, ethical journalism and legal compliance with necessary funding to support their journalism. The salaries of journalists in Palestine, sustainability and production of public interest journalism will be boosted by awards to those selected following a rigorous, transparent and criteria-based process.
Up to 20 individual grants will be awarded to local media entities thanks to funding by the International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM) and the International Federation of Journalists, in partnership with the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) and the Palestinian Media Sector Coordination Group (PMSCG). The project will also support the PMSCG’s efforts to develop a long-term strategy for the Palestinian media sector, including establishment of an independent media fund managed by media sector representative groups and other entities working to advance the media ecosystem in Palestine.
Anthony Bellanger, IFJ general secretary, said:
“Nowhere is the urgency to save journalism from extinction more pronounced than in Palestine. The professional and humanitarian costs to journalists on the ground and the long-term societal implications of the potential loss of local, public interest reporting are enormous. Covering the crisis in Gaza has come at a terrible cost. Many journalists have lost their lives, lost their jobs or face an increasingly perilous and untenable financial situation.
“By providing critical financial support to independent media organisations, we seek to sustain and expand their public interest content. We are endeavouring to help them survive and to ensure journalists — many of whom have not been paid for months — can earn a living and fulfil their mission to educate and inform.”
At least 117 Palestinian journalists have been killed since 7 October and the NUJ is urging members to donate to the IFJ safety fund providing essential support and equipment to journalists.