GFMD welcomes 19 new members

We are delighted to introduce the newest organisations that have become part of our growing network, united by a shared dedication to advancing media development worldwide. Each brings unique insights and expertise, enriching the collaborative spirit at the heart of GFMD.

Spanning multiple regions, our new members reflect the truly global nature of the GFMD community. Please join us in warmly welcoming the following organisations to the network:

General members

1. Media Resources Development Initiative (MRDI) – Bangladesh: Established in 2001, Media Resources Development Initiative (MRDI) has grown into one of the leading news media development organisations in Bangladesh, with an unparalleled reputation for strengthening the capacity of news outlets and journalists through high-quality training, production-based newsroom partnerships, investigative journalism support, media research, and initiatives that promote digital safety, media ethics, and fact-checking.
2. Stockholm School of Economics – Latvia: The Stockholm School of Economics Riga (SSE Riga) is a leading international business school with over 15 years of experience supporting democracy in the Baltics, Europe, and Central Asia. Through its media centre, SSE Riga contributes to media development and the promotion of democratic values across the region, bringing academic rigour and long-standing institutional expertise to the GFMD network.
3. VšĮ DigitalHub – Lithuania: VšĮ DigitalHub, operating as the Digital Skills Coalition Belarus, is a civil society organisation supporting journalists and the Belarusian media ecosystem in exile through research, monitoring, and capacity building. Its work includes operating FactCheck.LT – a fact-checking outlet covering disinformation targeting Belarus and the Baltic region – and conducting systematic analysis of information manipulation campaigns by authoritarian state media. The organisation also trains journalists on AI-powered tools for content verification, transcription, and cross-platform analysis.
4. Media Center UA – Ukraine: Media Center UA is a communication hub and civic initiative that supports journalists covering the war in Ukraine, providing a platform for strategic briefings and events. Working at the intersection of independent journalism, counter-disinformation, and community engagement, the organisation draws on direct experience navigating high-risk media environments to strengthen newsroom resilience and cross-border cooperation.
5. Jnomics Media – United Kingdom: Jnomics Media is an international media consultancy that helps newsrooms build sustainable business models and implement advanced organisational strategies. Positioned at the intersection of media viability, digital transformation, and public-interest journalism, Jnomics works with news organisations across complex and politically pressured markets to drive long-term sustainability and innovation.
6. Logiq Media – Germany: Logiq Media is a consulting firm specialising in strategic engagement for cause-driven organisations, with a focus on audience development and what the organisation calls “Impact Engineering.” Logiq supports media and civil society organisations in building meaningful connections with their audiences and advancing their missions with measurable impact.
7. Global Youth & News Media – France: Global Youth & News Media works to strengthen the linkages between young people and news media through three interconnected streams of action: honouring news media that truly serve young audiences, promoting media literacy through a journalistic lens, and amplifying journalism produced by and for young people. The organisation advocates for a media landscape that genuinely reflects and engages the next generation.
8. Daraj – Lebanon: Daraj is a pan-Arab independent digital media platform focusing on investigative journalism and under-reported topics, including women’s rights, the environment, and socio-economic rights. Having previously been an affiliate member of GFMD, Daraj has now transitioned to General membership, reflecting its deepening commitment to and engagement with the global media development community.
9. Musnad Platform for Yemeni News Verification – Yemen: Musnad is a Yemeni fact-checking platform dedicated to verifying news and countering misinformation related to the conflict in Yemen. The organisation works to strengthen professional standards in fact-checking and OSINT investigations, and to engage in global discussions on combating disinformation, hate speech, and information manipulation in fragile media environments.
10. I’lam Center, The Arab Center for Media Freedom, Development and Research – Israel: I’lam is the Arab Center for Media Freedom, Development and Research, working to empower Palestinian society in Israel through media training, research, and legal advocacy. The organisation is committed to promoting a free and independent media environment and to ensuring that Palestinian voices and media challenges are represented within global networks and advocacy spaces.
11. 7amleh – The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media – Palestine: 7amleh is a non-profit centre advocating for Palestinian digital rights, monitoring online racism and incitement, and training civil society in digital safety and advocacy. Through its own project, Sabra Media, and its broader capacity-building initiatives, 7amleh works to protect journalists and human rights defenders operating in the context of conflict and repression, and to elevate Palestinian digital rights within international media policy spaces.

Affiliate members

1. Maldives Independent – Maldives: Maldives Independent is an award-winning, reader-supported newsroom known for public-interest reporting and analysis on Maldivian current affairs. As the only independent media outlet in the Maldives, it joins GFMD to collaborate on international standards, participate in collective advocacy for media freedom, and build partnerships that strengthen its long-term capacity to serve the public interest.
2. News Network – Bangladesh: News Network is committed to fostering an informed, inclusive, and democratic society in Bangladesh by promoting independent journalism, freedom of expression, human rights, and gender equality. With over three decades of experience, the organisation works through capacity-building, advocacy, and media development initiatives to empower journalists, civil society, and marginalised communities to participate actively in the democratic process.
3. Alharaca – El Salvador: Alharaca is a women-led digital news outlet providing investigative journalism through a feminist lens, covering social justice and human rights in El Salvador. Operating at the intersection of feminist journalism, media innovation, and resistance amid democratic backsliding, Alharaca is currently expanding into Europe, building a transnational model that connects Latin America and Europe through collaborative, community-based journalism practices.
4. Mada Masr – Egypt: Mada Masr is an independent liberal online newspaper providing investigative coverage of Egyptian politics, economy, and society in both Arabic and English. It is widely regarded as one of Egypt’s most important independent media voices.
5. Women Who Won The War – Netherlands: Women Who Won The War is an independent media platform and network of female journalists from the MENA region, focusing on feminist intersectionality in conflict reporting. Operating in one of the world’s most challenging regions for press freedom, the organisation seeks to build strong global alliances that enhance protection mechanisms, support the sustainability of its work in high-risk environments, and enable collaborative projects with greater and longer-term impact.
6. Cross-Pollinate Consulting – United States: Cross-Pollinate Consulting is an advisory practice providing research, evaluation, and strategic planning services for media development, digital rights, and internet freedom programmes. The organisation brings specialist expertise in programme design and assessment to support the broader media development ecosystem.
7. Crown Television Zambia – Zambia: Crown Television Zambia is a private broadcast television station delivering local news, talk shows, and documentaries with a focus on fairness, objectivity, and community participation.
8. The ClarityDesk – South Sudan: The ClarityDesk is a media integrity and fact-checking project that verifies public statements and social media claims while promoting solutions and data journalism in South Sudan.

GFMD is thrilled to add a new group of members to the network and to work with them to promote media development and support journalism wherever it is threatened across the globe.

Through collaboration, coordination, and collective action, our network of members creates, promotes, and delivers policies and programmes to sustain journalism as a public good. Search our 200+ membership to find a partner for your project. 

If you want to become a GFMD member, the application process is simple and quick. Find out more about how to join GFMD here.