GIJC – Kuala Lumpur — 23 November — At an invite-only gathering during the Global Investigative Journalism Conference (GIJC), Report for the World convened newsroom leaders, editors, and regional partners to discuss Report for South Asia—a rapidly evolving initiative designed to strengthen independent, public-interest journalism across one of the world’s most complex and diverse media environments.
Building on months of listening sessions across Delhi and other hubs in the region, the program is moving deliberately to address what many describe as a “make-or-break” moment for South Asia’s newsrooms: shrinking civic space, political pressure, financial precarity, and a rapidly shifting information economy.
Throughout the discussion, Preethi Nallu, RFW (moderator), Mary Fitzgerald, ED of CommsHub, Meliore Foundation, Omar Rajarathnam, Program Lead, RFW and Roman Gautam, Editor, Himal Southasian all reflected on the program’s core ethos: a commitment to co-creation, decentralization, and long-term sustainability, rather than short-term fellowship cycles or prescriptive project-based funding.
Listening First: A Program Built From the Newsrooms Up
Report for South Asia has been shaped through extensive listening sessions—conversations that brought together what one speaker described as “larger-than-life personalities” of Indian and regional journalism. These dialogues surfaced the gaps, pressures, and structural needs that traditional funding has often overlooked.
One insight landed quickly: while reporting roles remain crucial, they cannot exist in isolation.
South Asian newsrooms, especially those working in English as a second or third language, often operate with extremely stretched editorial desks. Editors carry heavy linguistic, structural, and developmental workloads. Without strengthening these roles, simply adding reporters risks overwhelming already exhausted teams.
This feedback fundamentally shifted the program design. Instead of focusing solely on early and mid-career reporting roles, Report for South Asia now supports editorial and revenue-innovation positions—roles that newsrooms repeatedly identified as critical to long-term viability.
Rebalancing Power Through Decentralized, Region-Led Structures
A defining feature of this initiative is its governance structure: regional partners are placed at the center, with Report for the World operating as a small, supportive hub rather than the command center.
This means resources, strategy, and decision-making gradually move closer to the newsrooms themselves. The goal is not to expand a global team, but to grow South Asia’s own capacity to run—and evolve—the program.
This approach aligns with broader conversations in the sector about decentralizing and even decolonizing media support. The aim is not just to invest in journalism, but to transform the structures through which journalism is supported.
Why Revenue and Media Innovation Roles Matter Now
Newsrooms repeatedly emphasized a truth that funders often resist acknowledging: to produce strong journalism, journalists must be able to make a living.
Yet many international donors remain wary of supporting salaries—preferring to fund workshops, capacity-building, or networking instead.
This gap is particularly acute in South Asia, where the pipeline for business-side talent is limited. Many revenue specialists come from legacy media, where teams of 30 handled what small digital newsrooms now must do with three people. Others come from the business world with little understanding of journalistic values—leading to disastrous misalignment.
The result is a new model: hybrid roles that bridge editorial and revenue, paired with mentorship and a shared-services support structure that newsrooms can tap into when launching events, newsletters, membership programs, or targeted fundraising campaigns.
These roles don’t replace journalism—they protect it.
Co-Investment and Sustainability: A Model Designed to Last
A critical feature of Report for the World’s approach is its co-investment structure. Instead of fully underwriting positions—an approach that can create dependency—the model requires mutual investment from the newsroom, Report for the World, and regional partners.
This ensures shared responsibility and encourages newsrooms to think critically about which roles they can sustain long-term.
Over time, the goal is for regional partners to take full ownership. In South Asia, this means building a sustainability roadmap for Factum Media, the regional implementing partner, so that Report for the World can eventually step back.
Fostering Innovation in a Rapidly Changing Information Economy
South Asia faces unique pressures—from the rise of AI-generated misinformation to rapidly changing audience behaviors. But panelists stressed that innovation will look different across contexts. There is no one-size-fits-all model.
Some partners may need support adapting to AI-driven workflows. Others might prioritize hyper-local community engagement. Still others may need help experimenting with formats or developing events that build both revenue and trust. The initiative’s guiding principle: flexibility.
By investing in roles that look beyond immediate deadlines, the program aims to help newsrooms anticipate—not simply react to—the region’s rapidly changing information realities.
Rethinking Donor Support: Opening Doors, Not Adding Burdens
Much of the discussion centered on how foundations and media-support organizations can be more effective partners. The message was clear: donors should focus less on convening for the sake of convening, and more on connecting partners to the right people at the right time.
This includes:
- Pairing revenue specialists with seasoned mentors
- Facilitating cross-border collaboration when investigations require it
- Avoiding time-consuming activities that don’t meet newsroom needs
- Asking not “How can we help you?” but “What’s getting in your way?”
This reframing often unlocks more honest, practical responses.
A Long-Term Commitment to Regional Strengthening
Report for South Asia is more than a funding initiative—it is a bet on radical collaboration, regional leadership, and a reimagined structure for sustaining public-interest journalism. The ambition is clear: strengthen the roles, systems, and people who keep journalism functioning—not only the stories themselves.
Report for South Asia represents a long-term commitment to ensuring that the region’s journalists—and the communities they serve—have the support, stability, and leadership needed to tell their own stories on their own terms.