The Local News Accelerator supports digital innovation in local journalism’s editorial and business models around the world.
The Basics
IPI’s Local News Accelerator is a four-month programme where you and your organization will build the foundations to develop a financially and editorially sustainable local media business. The programme, already in its second edition, will offer personalized advisory services, tools and guidance to help you reach audiences and empower your teams to grow into an engaged, responsive media brand during and after the accelerator.
Why apply?
The accelerator has been designed to support local newsrooms getting started or pivoting their business with the structure and support to identify and deliver solutions that will advance their projects toward financial and editorial sustainability. From our workwith local, regional and niche publishers, we understand the key challenges you’re facing. IPI’s in-house experts will therefore conduct a comprehensive one-on-one needs assessment and provide guidance and personalized advisory services for successful applicants to maximize their benefits from the programme.
How does it work?
The format is based on IPI’s innovation learning journey, piloted through our 2023 Local News Accelerator, in which publishers from around the world, including Indonesia, Ecuador, Uganda, South Africa and more, achieved measurable benefits such as growth in readership, doubling of subscribers, building new onboarding tools and engagement channels and launching membership models with impactful crowdfunding campaigns. One key benefit communicated repeatedly from the group was that connections among the cohort allowed them to build a community with media in similar situations and share ideas.
