The Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF) says its clients provided news and information to 77.1 million people in nearly 30 countries around the world where access to free and independent media is under threat while generating a combined $338 million in sales.
MDIF said its clients, ranging from local news websites to national broadcasters, made great impact on their society by reporting on corruption and government accountability, encouraging democratic participation during elections and covering issues that are under- reported like environment, gender and LGBT.
The Media Development Impact Dashboard 2017, MDIF’s annual impact analysis, gives concrete examples of how clients were able to effect real change in their societies through reporting in 2016 including: exposing corruption in Serbia; holding the government to account in Indonesia; minority ethnic rights in India; reporting on the environment in Guatemala; coving gender in South Africa; and reporting on LGBT in Zimbabwe.
Analysis of the reach of the clients shows an increased by a medium of 32% (on the average of 178%) after working with MDIF for five years and between 2015 to 2016 the average reach increased by 11% even though there was no change in the median client reach.
Clients’ sales from the analysis shows an increase of a median of 109% (mean of 213%) after five years of working with MDIF. The clients also saw a median annual growth rate of 20% (CAGR) during their first years working with MDIF.
The viability of clients median risk rating was 5.5 across the portfolio in 2016 which was a 3.7% decrease from 2015 and the median remained firmly in the moderate risk range while across the portfolio, 69% of clients maintained or lowered their risk rating from 2015 to 2016.
Likewise, Client impacts on Society; in 2016 were 76% of clients who reported on corruption scandals in their country and 82% of clients held their governments accountable for their policy promises.
