For the second time, the Media Forward Fund is awarding grants to selected media outlets. As the first cross-border fund for journalism funding in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, the Media Forward Fund was launched in 2024 by the Schöpflin Foundation and Publix, in collaboration with nine other foundations and one impact investor. The goal is to safeguard diversity in journalism that serves the common good and thereby strengthen democracy.
In its general funding line for public-interest journalism, two media outlets from Switzerland and one from Germany will each receive €400,000. A total of 113 media organizations applied — three local media outlets were selected. Although local journalism forms a crucial foundation for access to information and democratic participation at the state, cantonal, and municipal levels, it is increasingly under pressure: production costs are rising while demand is declining. The funded organizations operate with different business models to finance journalism in the public interest — models that will be further developed with the support of the MFF grants. Three additional media outlets will receive launch grants of up to €100,000 each as part of a new funding line for science and data journalism.
![[Translate to Englisch:] Martin Kotynek](/fileadmin/_processed_/4/3/csm_Web_MartinKotynek_de0cc960e3.png)
»With its decision, the jury is sending a clear signal that there are many transformative business models in local journalism with real future potential.«
Martin Kotynek, Founding Managing Director of the Media Forward Fund
Recipients of the General Funding Line
Among the media outlets funded under the general funding line is the Swiss local media organization Bajour, which has established itself as a key journalistic voice in Basel since 2019 with its »Basel Briefing« newsletter, reaching over 20,000 people daily. With the support of the grant, Bajour plans to expand its hyperlocal news coverage to the ten most populous suburban municipalities around Basel and attract municipalities with public information duties as financial cooperation partners — an approach that was particularly praised by the jury. The increased reach is also expected to generate new paying supporters and additional advertising revenue.
The German local media outlet Loky* from the Berlin neighborhood of Prenzlauer Berg convinced the jury as a pioneer of urban community journalism with high regional relevance. »Loky* understands the specific needs and issues of its local audience and has built a strong and compelling brand concept around them. We were especially impressed by its lightness, curiosity, and optimism in response to the phenomenon of news avoidance«, the jury stated. With the €400,000 grant, the Berlin-based outlet plans to expand its coverage to the districts of Mitte and Pankow.
The nonprofit Swiss media organization Spatz uses an AI-based approach via newsletter and WhatsApp to report on regional issues. »Spatz fills the gaps in rural areas left behind by traditional journalism with its AI-generated journalistic offerings«, noted the jury. With the funding, Spatz aims to increase its reach from the current eight to at least twenty municipalities in the DACH region. To ensure long-term financial stability, the organization also plans to grow its membership and advertising partnerships with the help of the grant.
Recipients of the Funding Line for Science and Data Journalism
In the funding line for science and data journalism — established in collaboration with the German Science Press Conference (WPK) — »Launch Grants« were offered. These grants are intended to support projects from the initial idea through to their launch.
One of the supported projects is the launch of a new Instagram channel by the public-interest science newsroom TWENTYTWO Film from Cologne, building on their already successful YouTube brand »Doktor Whatson«. The high-reach YouTube channel offers accessible science journalism tailored to a young audience. With a grant of €100,000, the team will now begin adapting the format for Instagram. The jury highlighted the project’s clear focus on its target audience and its willingness to experiment.
The investigative research and transparency platform FragDenStaat will use its grant to develop the BPK Tracker — a data journalism tool that documents, tags, and categorizes statements from federal ministries, factual questions, and responses made at the Federal Press Conference (BPK). The tool is designed to reveal over time which issues receive a lot of public attention and which are largely overlooked. »FragDenStaat’s project strengthens the role of the Federal Press Conference as a subject of journalistic reporting. As an innovative data journalism tool, it brings lasting transparency and traceability to public discourse«, the jury explained in awarding the €75,000 grant.
The German platform Dekoder focuses on making relevant content from independent Russian-, Belarusian-, and Ukrainian-language journalism accessible to a German-speaking audience. It serves as an interface between journalism and academia. According to the jury: »By curating and translating carefully selected pieces, Dekoder offers a reliable source of information in a media landscape marked by propaganda.« Dekoder will receive €75,000 to launch a newsletter. The biweekly newsletter will include one edition in German with updates on current developments in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, and another in Russian that offers academically grounded insights into Germany.
The next funding round of the Media Forward Fund begins on August 11, 2025. Applications can be submitted until August 22. Further information is available on the Media Forward Fund website.
