International Press Institute (IPI) 2024 Local News Accelerator Program for Course

Eligibility Criteria

• You should be a media organization (no geographic limitations) and demonstrate a clear focus on  serving local audiences, with news tailored to the specific needs of the local community.
• Your organization should demonstrate a commitment to producing quality original journalism, adherence to ethical journalism practices and commitment to press freedom.
• You must submit a proposal outlining a specific need and solution (Note: it is anticipated that this project will change or evolve during the accelerator period).  Here you can read about the projects some of our previous participants developed throughout the programme.
• Your organization must have a team of at least two individuals who are willing to commit to accelerator activities throughout the four months (this is estimated at a time commitment of four hours per week, divided between the team of two).
• Your media venture should have a solid business case and understanding of their audience, backed up by audience or market research.
• Your media should demonstrate a willingness to explore and implement new ideas, tools and technologies to enhance storytelling and audience engagement, while learning from experts and each other.
• Your media should have a clear vision for the future of their media organization, including plans for how they will grow, expand and/or adapt.

Offered Benefits

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 work with 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.

Application Process

Applications will be assessed based on the criteria established in the call. If you’re not sure if you’re eligible, contact   or sign up for our upcoming info session  here. Past experience shows how important it is to build a diverse cohort and we encourage you to reach out if this sounds interesting to you!

For preparation only, please find  in this Google Doc all the questions of the form below. You can make a copy of the document. The Google Doc is not needed for the application, it is just a resource to help you prepare to fill the form below.