MDIF clients provide news to more than 60 million people

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.