Qarib – Media Incubator Programme

The SKeyes Center for Media and Cultural Freedom is seeking applications for the Third Cycle of the Qarib – Media Incubator Programme to enhance the presence of independent electronic media within the media environment.

As these media outlets develop their own skills and business models, they will have the opportunity to expand their reach and provide greater impactful content, while increasing their overall impact on society.

The project will ensure that the necessary support is provided to these media outlets, and help them grow in a more sustainable way, and provide good content, whether through developing their journalistic and technical skills, strengthening their network or media presence, or delving into the possibility of achieving financial returns.

From this standpoint, the Samir Kassir Foundation is launching a new call for applications, with the aim of:

• Choose between 3 and 4 digital media outlets to participate in the third cycle of the support program.
• Contributing to developing an alternative vision for the media in Lebanon and Palestine, which contributes to enhancing professional sustainability, ethical reliability, and sensitive high-quality coverage.
• Creating an enabling environment and launching an alternative discourse based on promoting several ideals and principles such as good governance, pluralism, freedom of expression, democratic participation, and the right to investigate corruption and scandals.
• Helping emerging journalists in various alternative networks build a more sustainable career path, consistent with their ethical and political considerations.

Benefits

As for the media outlets benefiting from the support, they will receive the following:

• The means, methodologies and tools necessary to finance its content as sustainably as possible, through the application of innovative economic models;
• Help increase visits to its platform based on an in-depth understanding of data analysis software;
• The latest public relations concepts, enabling them to promote their work among like- minded platforms and local and regional NGOs;
• Support to develop its professional standards and quality of content by focusing on team growth and technical capabilities;
• Help formulate a cohesive model for publishing, distributing, and organizing content;
• Assist in evaluating their project as frequently and as effectively and dynamically as possible.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must meet all conditions:

• Digital media organizations that produce original content (and are not a news aggregator).
• Organizations that produce content about news and topical issues.
• Institutions that are politically independent and transparent about their funding sources.
• The institutions must be headquartered in Lebanon or Palestine.
• Priority will be given to organizations that demonstrate respect for diversity among their staff, board members, and coverage topics.

Order and Instructions

Standards related to values

• The media has democratic values The media produces content that is important to the local community, going beyond the culture of entertainment and consumption.
• The media does not promote intolerance.
• The media respects professional ethics.

Standards related to editorial independenceThe media is not subject to state ownership or management.

• The decisions of the media outlet, at various levels, are not subject to the influence of official bodies.
• The media outlet does not include political officials (including members of the legislative and executive branches) on its board of directors who are able to influence its policies.
• The media outlet does not receive support from authoritarian government authorities through budget allocations or government grants, which means that the continuity of the media outlet does not depend on this support.
• The owners or key employees of the media outlet do not use the media outlet as a tool to build a special political status.
• The media outlet is not an internal publication within a company (for example, publications are intended for employees or customers of the company, not for general readers).
• The media outlet is not a tool used by the owner to weave public relations and exert pressure and influence to secure his own interests.

Apply here.