Community Media Sustainability Guide: The Business of Changing Lives

"Community media's origins in political struggle, its community ownership structure, and its mission - to give voice to the voiceless, to provide an alternative to mainstream media, to place control of media in the hands of ordinary people - seem to contradict the notions of both 'business' and 'model.' Today, however,...[i]nternational aid agencies...and...governments are acknowledging the contribution of community media to education, public health, and economic development, and are creating policy and legal frameworks to enable its expansion....[Furthermore,] [m]edia outlets are learning to take advantage of the new online media platforms to extend their reach and services. The shift to digital communication technologies has brought about an explosion of new media activity and opportunities over the past decade, as well as greater competition for scarce resources, including advertising."

Launched by Internews, this guide addresses the challenge of how to make community media financially sustainable in countries around the world. The Community Media Sustainability Guide: The Business of Changing Lives covers topics such as incorporating new online platforms and using alternative energy to power radio stations, all with an eye to sustainability.

Case studies of community media outlets and networks featured here include creative solutions to the problem of finding enough funding to stay in business. For instance, the Coffee Lifeline project in Rwanda relies on partnerships with international groups to supply agricultural news to coffee farmers, and Desi Radio, serving London's Punjabi community, thrives on a mixed business model that includes selling advertising, conducting media trainings, and hiring out volunteers to dance at weddings.

The guide is designed for community media practitioners and activists, trainers, and the donors and development agencies that support them. It provides different perspectives on sustainability, practical approaches to achieving it, and a comprehensive list of resources for practitioners and activists. The publication was funded by a grant to Internews Network from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) via a subgrant from Pact.

Contents include:

Section 1:

• Community Media: Core Principles and Definitions
• It’s Not Just About the Money: Approaches to Sustainability
  
• Sustainable Energy for Sustainable Stations
  
• Models of Sustainable Funding
  
• Business Models, Business Plans, and Community Media
  
• Making Donors Work For You
  
• How to Write a Successful Funding Proposal and Achieve Your Goals
  
• Getting Your Support to Media Right
  
• The Role of National Networks in Sustaining Community Media
  
• The Need for an Enabling Environment
  
•  Community Research for Community Media Sustainability

Section 2:

• The Business of Changing Lives
  
• Work with What You Have
  
• You Cannot Put a Price on Community Involvement
  
• Keeping the Money Neutral
  
• Soweto’s “Number One” Station
  
• Diverse Sources of Funding Keep the Five Rivers Flowing Strongly
  
• It’s Your Baby - It Needs Food
  
• Sustainability Through Partnerships: A Lasting Cup of Coffee
  
• The Road from Community Service to Social Enterprise
  
• Listener-Supported Public Radio in the United States
  
• Balancing Continued Aid with a Public Service Mission in a Competitive Market
  
• Sustaining the Intercontinental Radio Communication System
  
• Peru’s Coordinadora Nacional de Radio (CNR): A Decentralised Network
  
• Small Towns Find a Voice Online