Activities

1. A well informed and networked media development and journalism support community

GFMD manages and organises the community of its members so they can share information among themselves and form opinions as well as policy-related positions and formulate demands. Members join GFMD to get unfettered connections with their peers worldwide and to benefit from capacity-building opportunities provided or facilitated by GFMD.

GFMD works toward the goal that no knowledge or insights are lost across the worldwide MediaDev community and that experiences and lessons learned at all levels—from global to local, directly from the field as well as in academia—are collected and processed. In doing so, GFMD is out to strengthen members’ capacity and build common, evidence-based knowledge on which members and actions can draw to deliver ever-better actions.

The detailed activities are described below:

1.1. Membership knowledge exchange and collaboration

Create a roster of GFMD members, relevant expertise, and scope for internal use.

Exchange knowledge about regional/global tech policy developments through the Policy and Learning Group. Encourage and systematically facilitate constructive and action-orientated dialogue with GFMD members and partners to identify priority and emerging issues, challenges, and needs with respect to technology policy at the local, regional, and international levels.

Organise quarterly interactive learning calls with relevant experts on priority tech policy issues or platform policies, developments that will provide an opportunity for members to ask questions.

Create a dedicated policy and advocacy resource centre that includes relevant material (research, policy papers, ongoing legislative processes) and organise it by key areas of interest or regions (such as EU Policy and Digital Advocacy).

1.2. Best practices and case studies

Locate and list resources from members and partners on digital policy and advocacy that are relevant for the journalism and media sector. Identify which organisations are doing relevant work and gathering data nationally, regionally, and internationally.

Identify research and collect data from members on how different policies, regulations, and activities of companies and governments impact small local media and journalism organisations to gather evidence.

Based on previous research and experience from GFMD members, extract a series of policy principles on priority issues defined by the membership to inform local advocacy and consultations with local policymakers. Develop a set of templates for key tech policy areas that are relevant in multiple GFMD member countries and globally that outline key issues and principles to consider with respect to their impact.

Curate and develop white papers and backgrounders that distil priority and important digital policy issues that focus on how they (potentially) impact news media of different sizes including examples and evidence, key considerations, and outstanding debates and link with relevant policy principles.

1.3 Network of pro bono legal support

Map a network of pro bono legal support to provide expert legal analysis of new or proposed technology policies. Map possible partnerships with organisations such as Thomson Reuters Foundation, whose global legal network spans more than most countries where members work, to support GFMD members who need assistance in understanding the implications of new digital legislation in their domestic contexts.

2. Evidence-based and harmonised digital media policy and advocacy

The detailed activities described below are aimed to provide opportunities for joint advocacy initiatives among members targeting key developments and priorities in local, regional, and international digital policy.

2.1 Map policy and advocacy opportunities

Map advocacy opportunities and establish realistic targets for that year. Choose concrete and relevant debates with policy makers, technology companies, and other stakeholders with whom GFMD can get involved or intervene. Focus especially on new legislation attempts in different regions, and rely on regional experts and members.

Map and decide on potential participation and contribution to external consultations, workshops, and conferences organised by GFMD partners and other organisations in GFMD advocacy networks.

2.2 Engage with other civil society organisations working on digital policy

Engage and promote participation in the EU Media Advocacy Group. Continue leading policy work in the EU focusing on major regulatory frameworks including the DSA, DMA, GDPR, R2BF, Council of Europe, and other major, globally influential policies. Use the model to work with interested members in other regions to initiate similar groups.

Engage and promote participation in IGF through the Dynamic Coalition on the Sustainability of Journalism and News Media (DC-Sustainability). Coordinate its mailing list and keep track of the different issues raised by the members of the Coalition by organising meetings and actively participating in events and webinars.

2.3 Engage with private-sector stakeholders

Establish and strengthen GFMD relationships with private digital actors and technology companies. Create a more formal consultative relationship between GFMD and global policy, trust and safety, and journalism leads at each of the target companies. Ensure that they are aware of countries and regions where GFMD members reside and have expertise.