One of the safest predictions for 2026 is that media organizations will continue to adapt, change and reinvent themselves as the tech world we inhabit spins ever faster. In a news and information market increasingly dominated by platforms, formats and creators, the days when established media outlets, ones that produce and distribute journalism, were the only game in town have long gone.
Media is at the core of MDIF’s name and mission, but what counts as media continues to evolve. This isn’t new in itself. What makes this moment different is that audience behaviour has shifted faster than the systems designed to support public interest information, creating an urgent need to align support and capital with where audiences actually are.
“Media” doesn’t only mean newsrooms and journalism – that overlooks how audiences increasingly encounter, use and share information. We have to take a much wider view of how people connect with news and information. This is underlined by the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2025, which describes declining engagement with traditional sources and rising dependence on platforms, aggregators and creator-led formats. It confirmed what we all know: a continuing fall in engagement with TV, print and news websites, alongside growing dependence on social media, video platforms and online aggregators.
With 44% of 18 to 24-year-olds saying that social media/video networks are their main news source, the Reuters report rightly flagged the rise of an “alternative media ecosystem” of YouTubers, TikTokers and podcasters. But countless other types of smaller media companies also contribute to this non-journalism outlet ecosystem.
Digitalization opened us up to a bewildering array of platforms, tools, aggregators and other tech-enabled innovations. This has created existential challenges for many traditional media outlets, but it has also heralded a world of possibilities, a place where anyone can experiment with alternative ways of connecting audiences with information and each other, pushing what we understand as “media” in unknown directions.
For MDIF, this expansion challenges us to rethink our investment lens: alongside outlets, we consider services, tools and platforms that enable access to trustworthy information and civic participation. This is not a question of definition, but of aligning support and capital with how people actually access and use information today.
That’s not to say that journalism isn’t important. It is and remains vital to the functioning of informed societies. It holds authorities to account, exposes injustice and provides people with information so they can have a voice in how they are governed. That’s why journalism remains a crucial part of our work. But for many years it hasn’t been the whole of it. MDIF first invested in digital native media in 2002 and we created our first dedicated fund, Digital News Ventures, in 2012. For many years, a significant part of our portfolio has included non-traditional media. Though very different from traditional outlets in how they execute their mission, all the companies we invest in share one thing in common: they exist to support the provision of news and information for the common good.
Here are some examples of media we work with that extend and supplement the news and information provided by traditional outlets.
Platforms with a purpose: Platforms are much more than a-moral (or immoral, depending on your view) places where people connect, they can also be designed with social purpose. In India, Josh Talks is a video-focused media platform that uses storytelling multiple vernacular languages to showcase the country’s most inspiring stories through videos and events, providing people with tools and motivation to upskill themselves. Also in India, Onion Dev is a social marketing and technology company that operates Mobile Vaani, a voice-based social media platform for rural areas that connects people with limited literacy with each other and the authorities.
Re-imagining civic participation: Technology has enabled new ways of connecting people and places with the aim of improving living environments. Colab.re is a Brazilian citizen-to-government engagement platform, with a specific focus on community and municipal issues. It empowers citizens to report problems, suggest improvements and provide direct feedback to governments on issues and priorities. In Serbia, City&Me incentivizes sustainable behaviour through a token-based system, encouraging people to walk, bike, recycle and engage with local initiatives. By earning tokens, users can redeem them for real-world rewards via an app, encouraging positive behaviour and improving communities. [Read an interview with City&Me’s founder Branko Krsmanović about how it merges technology, information and civic engagement.]
Media tech: The possibilities of tools, platforms and systems to create, distribute and consume media content are almost limitless. Examples of companies we work with include Asiaville which, with a focus on vernacular languages, has a creator-focused app, AyeVee, a full stack solution for creators to help them build meaningful connections with their audience and monetise their content. Datasketch is a Colombian technology startup that provides small organisations and individuals with access to data visualization tools and facilitates knowledge-sharing to promote informed debate about public issues.
Next generation: A catch-all category of media companies that are pioneering new ways of connecting users with news and information, innovating with content, formats or distribution, particularly for younger people. For example, founded in South Africa, Seen is digital youth-focused company that empowers users to become citizen journalists. It enables users globally to capture their stories and publish them as user-generated content on multiple platforms, with a focus on augmented reality. Arré is an OTT platform based in Mumbai that produces and publishes videos, audio series, web series, documentaries, text and doodles through its online channel. They tell stories using fiction, non-fiction, documentaries, social experiments, podcasts and more.
Together, companies like these illustrate how the media ecosystem has become broader and more diverse than ever before. Whether this results in better informed societies will depend on how these models are shaped and supported, a challenge we continue to engage with through our investments and partnerships.
What “media” means at MDIF
