Sahara Reporters and three other NGOs share $5M Grants
The daring citizen news website Sahara Reporters of Nigeria is among the four media organizations chosen to receive the first Omidyar Network grants in support of Investigative and Citizen Journalism in the Developing World.
Stephen King, investment partner and Omidyar Network's global practice head for Government Transparency, made the announcement yesterday at the World Press Freedom Day conference in Washington D.C.
According to a press release, particular emphasis of the Omidyar Network Government Transparency initiative is to focus on organizations that seek a free, open and vibrant media as well as investigative and citizen journalism organizations that provide citizens access to credible information that increases citizen engagement and participation in civil affairs.
King also announced the first organizations to receive support through the expanded initiative. Nearly $5M in grants and a program related investment will go to four non-profits: African Media Initiative, up to $1.7M over two years; the Sahara Reporters project, up to $450k over three years; Media Development Loan Fund, $2M; and Committee to Protect Journalists, $800k.
Through its Government Transparency initiative, Omidyar Network invests in nonprofit and for-profit organizations that use technology and media platforms to provide access to information and tools necessary for citizens to participate in the governing process and hold governments to account. Today's announcement underscores Omidyar Network's recognition of the crucial role journalism plays in achieving those ends.
"Omidyar Network believes a healthy government – one that is responsive to its citizens -- requires a healthy, robust fourth estate. By focusing additional efforts on fostering investigative and citizen journalism, we believe we will be catalyzing transparency efforts that will positively affect millions of people," said King. "True to the tenets of our Government Transparency initiative, we'll pay particular attention to innovative organizations utilizing technology platforms to scale their impact with a recognition that effective technologies will vary by country and region. In some geographies, the technology will take the form of an online platform, mobile in others, and broadcast in yet others."
The African Media Initiative is a non-profit, pan-Africa program that seeks to strengthen the continent's media sector though advocacy, investments, technology and training. The initiative is led by private media owners operating in Africa who believe a strong media is required for social development, economic growth and empowered citizens. For more information, please visit: http://www.africanmediainitiative.org
Sahara Reporters is a citizen media website that encourages citizen journalists to publish evidence of ongoing corruption, abuses of human rights and government malfeasance in Nigeria. It is one of the principal sources of independent investigative journalism and breaking news on Nigeria's government. For more information about Sahara Reporters, please visit: http://www.saharareporters.com.
Media Development Loan Fund is a mission-driven investment fund for independent news outlets in countries with a history of media oppression. Working in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Southeast Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, the fund provides low-cost capital and technical know-how to help journalists in challenging environments build sustainable businesses around professional, responsible, quality journalism. For more information, please visit: http://www.mdlf.org.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide by defending the rights of journalists to report the news without fear of reprisal. By publicly revealing abuses against the press and by acting on behalf of imprisoned and threatened journalists, CPJ effectively warns journalists and news organizations where attacks on press freedom are occurring. CPJ publishes articles and news releases; special reports; and Attacks on the Press, the most comprehensive annual survey of press freedom around the world. For more information, please visit: http://www.cpj.org.
About Omidyar Network
Omidyar Network is a philanthropic investment firm dedicated to harnessing the power of markets to create opportunity for people to improve their lives. Established in 2004 by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and his wife Pam, the organization invests in and helps scale innovative organizations to catalyze economic and social change. To date, Omidyar Network has committed more than $400 million to for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations that foster economic advancement and encourage individual participation across multiple investment areas, including microfinance, entrepreneurship, property rights, government transparency, consumer Internet and mobile. To learn more about Omidyar Network, please visit www.omidyar.com.
SOURCE Omidyar Network
CONTACT: Greg Pershall of Omidyar Network, +1-360-607-8901
Web Site: http://www.omidyar.com/
Showing posts with label Share. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Share. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Photo: PR Newswire and Publish2 Join Forces to Help Journalists Access and Share News Online
Andrew Hartman, Director, Online Services, PR Newswire, announces partnership with Publish2 that will enable members of PR Newswire for Journalists and Publish2 to utilize the services that each organization offers to the media community. (PRNewsFoto/PR Newswire) NEW YORK, NY AND RESTON, VA UNITED STATES 02/04/2009
5 Feb 2009 15:35 Africa/Lagos
Photo: PR Newswire and Publish2 Join Forces to Help Journalists Access and Share News Online
Partnership Brings 'Link Journalism' to PR Newswire for Journalists' Members; Introduces Publish2 Participants to PRNJ's Global Media Community
NEW YORK and RESTON, Va., Feb. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- PR Newswire and Publish2, a technology company dedicated to helping journalism survive and thrive on the Web, announced today a partnership that will enable members of PR Newswire for Journalists and Publish2 to utilize the services that each organization offers to the media community..
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/prnewswire/36906/
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090205/NY67064 )
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000306/PRNLOGO )
For PR Newswire for Journalists (PRNJ) members, access to Publish2's service provides powerful tools for managing their research, incorporating links into their daily workflow, and building their individual journalist brand by creating profile pages that showcase their work. Key to Publish2's platform is its unique "link journalism" technology. The system enables reporters to easily discover, save, and publish links to the most interesting content on the web. Those links can be combined with journalists' original reporting to create news hubs that help to drive audience engagement.
"The results of the Pew Research Center for People and the Press' December 23rd report confirmed what many in the media industry already knew: the Internet has surpassed print media as the primary news source for the majority of individuals," said Andrew Hartman, director, Online Services, PR Newswire. "As consumers increasingly turn to the internet for their news, there is mounting pressure for journalists to become more involved in online news and to keep audiences engaged. Our partnership with Publish2 offers members of PRNJ a unique opportunity to harness the power of Web 2.0 through 'link journalism' to enhance their research, reporting and overall online presence."
PR Newswire's award-winning, media-only Web site, PRNJ, serves as a trusted source of news and information for journalists from more than 27,000 organizations around the world, as well as for thousands of bloggers. Now available to members of Publish2, PRNJ provides a platform for reporters and bloggers to access news of interest to them through customized news feeds based on keywords, industries, subjects, companies or geographic regions and states. In addition, PRNJ offers reporters and bloggers access to news releases through more than 500 RSS feeds covering different subject matters and industries.
"PRNJ will add greatly to our community of journalists on Publish2 by introducing our services to journalists at its 27,000 media organizations," said Scott Karp, CEO, Publish2. "And our journalist members can now take advantage of PRNJ's comprehensive news release platform to help their research and reporting on the web."
PR Newswire for Journalists members who have accounts with Publish2 will easily be able to save or post a news release accessed via PRNJ by clicking on the "Save It" button that appears in the upper right hand corner of every news release. Publish2 users who click on a news release link within the Publish2 platform will be directed to PRNJ where they can access the release directly. If users are members of one site but not the other, they will be prompted to take a few easy steps to sign up for the other platform where they can begin publishing links and viewing their saved news releases.
About Publish2
Publish2 (http://www.publish2.com/) is a technology company dedicated to helping journalism survive and thrive on the web. Publish2's link journalism platform is powering the next generation of news gathering and news distribution. Journalists across the world use Publish2 to make research and reporting more efficient and effective. Major news sites and vertical niche sites use Publish2 for prominent link-aggregation features that increase traffic and engagement. Publish2 is based in Reston, VA.
About PR Newswire
PR Newswire Association LLC (http://www.prnewswire.com/) provides electronic distribution, targeting, measurement and broadcast services on behalf of tens of thousands of corporate, government, association, labor, non-profit, and other customers worldwide. Using PR Newswire, these organizations are able to reach a variety of critical audiences including the news media, the investment community, government decision-makers, and the general public with their up-to-the-minute messages in text and multimedia format.
Established in 1954, PR Newswire has offices in 14 countries and routinely sends its customers' announcements to outlets in more than 170 countries and in more than 40 languages. Utilizing the latest in communications technology, PR Newswire content is considered a mainstay among news reporters, investors and individuals who seek breaking announcements from the source. PR Newswire's leading services include ProfNet(SM), eWatch(TM), MEDIAtlas(TM), Search Engine Optimization, MediaRoom, MediaSense(TM), MultiVu(TM), U.S. Newswire, the preeminent policy newswire in the industry, Vintage Filings, the fastest growing Edgar filing company, and Hispanic PR Wire, LatinClips and Hispanic Digital Network, the foremost Hispanic communications services. PR Newswire is a subsidiary of United Business Media Limited, a leading global business media company that serves professional commercial communities around the world. For more information, go to http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com/.
About United Business Media Limited
UBM focuses on two principal activities: worldwide information distribution, targeting and monitoring; and, the development and monetisation of B2B communities and markets. UBM's businesses inform markets and serve professional commercial communities -- from doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewellery traders, from farmers to pharmacists -- with integrated events, online, print and business information products. Our 6,500 staff in more than 30 countries are organised into specialist teams that serve these communities, bringing buyers and sellers together, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently.
For more information, go to www.unitedbusinessmedia.com
Contact:
Rachel Meranus
Vice President, Public Relations
PR Newswire
rachel.meranus@prnewswire.com
+1.201.360.6776
Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000306/PRNLOGO
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090205/NY67064
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN5
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com Video: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/prnewswire/36906
Source: PR Newswire
CONTACT: Rachel Meranus, Vice President, Public Relations of PR
Newswire, +1-201-360-6776, rachel.meranus@prnewswire.com
Web Site: http://www.prnewswire.com/
Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/146750.html
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/683182.html
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