Today, independent and investigative media outlets face pressure from many directions—and not just financial pressure. Added to this are political interference, legal challenges, and cyberattacks, as well as ongoing strain on teams and leadership. This is where the Media Resilience Exchange comes in.
The Media Resilience Exchange is a two-year international program run by Publix and funded by the MacArthur Foundation. It brings together a small cohort of independent, nonprofit, or public-interest media organizations to strengthen their organizational resilience.
At the heart of the program is the question: How can media organizations position themselves to identify risks earlier, be prepared for crises, and remain capable of taking action even under sustained external pressure?
To this end, the program combines peer exchange, expert knowledge, and training with work on participants’ own organizations. The goal is to develop practical strategies and structures that work in everyday practice, while also building a trusted international network that participants and participating organizations can rely on even beyond the program.
The program addresses different dimensions of organizational resilience, including:
The focus areas will be developed together with the participating organizations, based on their concrete experiences, needs and risk environments.
The Media Resilience Exchange offers participating organizations:
The Media Resilience Exchange depends on continuity, openness and mutual trust. Participating organizations are therefore expected to engage actively throughout the full duration of the program.
This includes:
The exact scheduling of the modules is coordinated as closely as possible with the cohort's availability. Limited funding is available to help cover travel and lodging expenses for the in-person modules.
The Media Resilience Exchange depends on continuity, openness and mutual trust. Participating organizations are therefore expected to engage actively throughout the full duration of the program.
This includes:
The exact scheduling of the modules is coordinated as closely as possible with the cohort's availability. Limited funding is available to help cover travel and lodging expenses for the in-person modules.
The Media Resilience Exchange will unfold over two years.
Cohort and Program
We identify participating organizations, engage partners and shape the curriculum around the needs of the cohort.
Learning together
Participants take part in a series of hybrid modules combining expert input, peer exchange and in-person convenings.
Test and apply
Organizations develop and test concrete resilience strategies through scenario-based exercises, small-group trainings and peer feedback.
Sustaining the network
The program will support continued peer exchange and make selected learnings accessible to the wider field.
The program is designed to be compatible with participants’ day-to-day responsibilities, while requiring a continuous commitment over the two-year period of about 10-12 days. A more detailed schedule and estimated time commitment will be shared with selected organizations before they confirm participation.
We are currently preparing the first cohort and are working with international partners to identify suitable participating organizations and relevant experts.
If you would like to recommend an organization or contribute expertise to the program, please contact Lea Bayer: lea.bayer@publix.de
The Media Resilience Exchange is supported by the MacArthur Foundation.
Please direct questions regarding the program, as well as the application and selection process to Lea Bayer: lea.bayer@publix.de
