Last year, MDIF clients provided news and information to over 60.9 million people in countries where access to free and independent media is under threat, while generating a combined $56.3 million in sales. The Impact Dashboard 2016 found that after five years of working with MDIF, client businesses grew their reach by a median of 33% and their sales by 113%.

The Media Development Impact Dashboard 2016, a detailed analysis of the impact of MDIF’s work on the financial sustainability of independent news businesses, also found that clients ranging from local news websites to national broadcasters had a profound impact on their societies through reporting on corruption and government accountability. Across our portfolio, in 2015 78% of clients exposed corruption scandals in their country and 89% held government leaders accountable for their policy promises.

Key findings by impact area include:

Reach

• After five years of working with MDIF, client reach increased by a median of 33% (on average by 183%)

• From 2014 to 2015, clients increased their total reach by a median of 2.5% (on average by 15%)

Sales

• After five years of working with MDIF, clients increased their sales by a median of 113% (mean of 227%)
• Clients saw a median annual growth rate of 21% (CAGR) during their first five years working with MDIF

Viability

• Median risk rating across the portfolio was 5.71 in 2015, an 8% increase from 2014 but still within the moderate risk range
• Low risk clients made up 27% of our portfolio in 2015, down from 37% in 2014

Client Impacts on Society

• In 2015, 78% of our clients reported on corruption scandals in their country
• In 2015, 89% of our clients held their governments accountable for their policy promises

View our interactive Impact Dashboard presentation here or read the full publication here.