Media Companies Receiving USAID Funding: An In-Depth Look at Global Journalism Support

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By Martin Foskett

United States--The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has long supported media organizations worldwide.
Through its various funding initiatives designed to foster press freedom, combat misinformation, and promote independent journalism, USAID has financially backed multiple media outlets and organizations, particularly in developing nations where press freedoms are threatened.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) provides funding for a wide range of activities—everything from public health and disaster relief to governance and media development. When it comes to the media sector, USAID’s primary goal is typically to strengthen independent journalism, bolster press freedom, and support media outlets that contribute to transparent, democratic societies around the world.
Rather than funding large, well-known commercial media companies like CNN or Fox News, USAID most often awards grants or contracts to:

• Nonprofit Organizations that implement media development projects (e.g., Internews, IREX, BBC Media Action).
• Local or Regional Outlets in developing countries, especially those focusing on civic education, public-interest reporting, or investigative journalism.
• Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) that promote freedom of the press and provide training or resources to journalists (e.g., Thomson Reuters Foundation, FHI 360).

Below are some examples and categories of media-related funding from USAID.

1. Major Nonprofit Media Development Organizations
Internews

• What It Is: A nonprofit that supports local media around the world. It provides training, mentorship, and resources to journalists and media outlets in over 100 countries.
• USAID Funding: Internews has been a longtime USAID partner. It often receives grants to carry out projects that strengthen independent media ecosystems in fragile or developing states.

IREX

• What It Is: A global development and education organization. It does capacity-building work for journalists, helps outlets transition to digital platforms, and provides consulting on media sustainability.
• USAID Funding: IREX implements numerous USAID-funded programs, such as “Learn to Discern” (media literacy efforts) in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

BBC Media Action

• What It Is: The BBC’s international development charity. It uses media and communications to help reduce poverty and promote human rights.
• USAID Funding: BBC Media Action has received USAID grants for projects ranging from health education broadcasts to civic participation campaigns in Africa and Asia.

2. Local and Regional Media Outlets

In various countries, USAID funds smaller, often locally owned media organizations—especially in places where press freedom is threatened. Examples include:

• Radio stations in conflict or post-conflict zones (e.g., community radio in parts of Africa or the Middle East) broadcast voter-education programs, health information, or peace-building content.
• Online news portals in Eastern Europe or Asia that aim to combat misinformation and promote independent journalism.
• Local TV stations in countries with emerging democracies are often supported by training, equipment, and operational funding to improve their coverage of public interest topics.

Because these grants are often small, short-term, and tied to specific local projects, no single consolidated public list of every local station or news portal has received USAID support. However, project reports and contracts are frequently listed on government transparency websites such as USAspending.gov or USAID’s Development Experience Clearinghouse (DEC).

3. NGOs Supporting Press Freedom and Media Training

Beyond directly supporting media outlets, USAID has provided funding to various NGOs that facilitate investigative reporting, enhance journalistic skills, and advocate for policy reforms to protect journalists. Examples of these include:

• FHI 360: Known for public health and education work, it also implements media training programs in some USAID-funded democracy and governance projects.
• Thomson Reuters Foundation: Provides training on ethics, investigative techniques, and digital tools for journalists; occasionally partners with USAID on targeted initiatives.
• The Asia Foundation: In some countries, it manages media-support and civic engagement programs with partial USAID funding.

4. Notable Case: ZunZuneo (“Cuban Twitter”)
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One high-profile example sometimes cited in discussions of USAID media funding is ZunZuneo, a text-messaging-based social media platform for Cubans. Launched around 2010, it was funded covertly by USAID to foster more complimentary information exchange in Cuba. The program attracted controversy when it came to light in 2014, as it was not clearly labelled as a U.S. government-funded project.

• Platform Goal: Provide a way for Cubans to communicate freely without heavy state censorship.
• Outcome: The project ended a few years after funding lapsed and security concerns arose.

Although ZunZuneo was more of a “communications platform” than a media outlet, it remains one of the most frequently discussed examples of USAID’s attempt to influence or support media and information environments abroad.

5. Finding Specific Recipients

If you’re looking for detailed, country-by-country or project-by-project data about which outlets or organizations received USAID funds, the best sources are:

• USAspending.gov: Tracks U.S. federal spending, including USAID grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements. You can search by keywords (e.g., “media,” “journalism,” “broadcasting”) or by recipient name.
• USAID Development Experience Clearinghouse (DEC): A repository of many project reports, evaluations, and documents that may mention specific media recipients in the text.
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Because USAID often awards grants to intermediary NGOs (like Internews), which then sub-grant to smaller local stations or outlets, you may need to dig into individual project documentation to see the ultimate local media recipients.

Key Takeaways

• USAID rarely funds major U.S.-based commercial media companies directly. Instead, most USAID media funding goes to nonprofits (e.g., Internews, IREX, BBC Media Action), local media outlets in developing countries, and NGOs promoting press freedom.
• Detailed records of local recipients exist but may require searching government databases or reviewing specific project reports.
• ZunZuneo (“Cuban Twitter”) is a notable example of a USAID-backed media/communications initiative that garnered widespread attention and controversy.

In short, USAID’s media-related funding typically focuses on expanding access to independent information, supporting free and fair press, and training journalists—mostly through intermediary organizations and local partnerships rather than direct grants to large, international media corporations.
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