Summary

Launched
2024
Estimated duration
3 Years
Estimated total value
$20,000,000.00
Regions
Africa, Asia, Latin America & Caribbean, Middle East & North Africa
Locations
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Benin, Cameroon, Colombia, Ecuador, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Malawi, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Pakistan, Peru, Sierra Leone, Syria, Tunisia, Uzbekistan, Zambia

The Pursuit of Truth: for inclusive, democratic societies

Summary

In 2024, BBC Media Action is launching The Pursuit of Truth, a groundbreaking new initiative devoted to truthful reporting through the support of reporters, newsrooms, and media ecosystems. BBC Media Action is committing $20 million through 2027 to a variety of initiatives, including the support of new platforms for truth tellers; collaborative efforts to fight disinformation; direct financial support to frontline media; world class journalism training; and innovations in journalism technology pioneered by the BBC.

Approach

The Pursuit of Truth, a major new initiative from BBC Media Action builds on a 25 year track-record of support to public interest media and their audiences. In a world in which it is ever more difficult and dangerous to be a journalist, Pursuit of Truth will turbocharge the global movement to support the truth and those who report it – without fear or favour – for the benefit of all. It will support resilient media ecosystems worldwide to ensure wide access to truthful and inclusive content in support of democracy, climate action and gender equity.

Pursuit of Truth will support the journalists of tomorrow, creating platforms for truth tellers and building a world where people know what and whom they can trust. It will address disinformation threats, with partners on the ground and with solutions that work. It will also support collaboration at a global scale to advance solutions to information disorder, including the ethical use of AI in newsrooms and building critical digital literacy skills among young people.

BBC Media Action will provide direct financial support to frontline media alongside world class journalism training and support leveraging innovations in journalism technology pioneered by the BBC. It will specifically focus on investigative journalism, safety and protection, and reporting without gender stereotypes. It will use its unique convening power to provide platforms for more diverse partners and voices in global debates and bring majority world partners to the centre of media support initiatives. It will be led by a network of long-term, trustworthy partners to provide the ‘last mile’ of support and protection to critical public interest media around the world.

Action Plan

Selection of initial partner organisations will be complete within the first quarter, with commencement of funding and holistic support package for partner media organisations by January 2025. Subsequent partners will come on-stream each quarter throughout year 1.

The first cohort of training for individuals will be undertaken by April 2025, with quarterly reporting thereafter for the duration of the initiative (36 months) .

Peer to peer learning networks will be established and fully operational by end of year 1 (September 2025) and continue through the duration of the initiative.

Following launch, the Pursuit of Truth will support at least one global convening by end of the second quarter (May 2025) and work with the BBC and partners to deliver further convening around specific topics related to issues of information disorder throughout the duration of the initiative

Background

Around the world, truth is under assault. Disinformation is rife and trust is in decline. Trust in institutions has rapidly dropped and in this critical super-election year, where over 1.5 billion people go to the polls, over 70% of countries do not have a free press. Authoritarianism is on the rise.

This is stifling constructive and inclusive public debate on issues that matter to all of us if our planet is to survive and our communities thrive.

Disinformation and polarization threaten decades of progress, driving insecurity and conflict across the globe. It is weakening responses to wider threats such as climate change and undermining progress in public health and gender equity. People and communities are trying to make sense of the world around them but if they do not know what to believe, they do not know what action to take. We will not achieve the Sustainable Development Goals without informed and engaged societies able to access trusted and reliable information.

Progress Update

Partnership Opportunities

To scale up the Pursuit of Truth initiative, BBC Media Action is seeking financial resources and additional implementing partners. This initiative aims to reach young journalists on the frontlines of conflict, crisis and in the most fragile contexts, to meet the immense and growing need for audiences to have timely access to the trusted information that shapes their lives., BBC Media Action will work with a network of global and regional implementing partners around the world, drawing on best-in-class experts from inside the BBC and around the world to offer technical best practice, financial resources and high quality, tailored media support, across editorial, organizational, management, research and craft skills

NOTE: This Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Commitment to Action is made, implemented, and tracked by the partners listed. CGI is a program dedicated forging new partnerships, providing technical support, and elevating compelling models with potential to scale. CGI does not directly fund or implement these projects.