Defending democracy with pluralistic local journalism

The new open-access report, Defending democracy with pluralistic local journalism, explores the vital role local, regional, community and investigative media play in democratic societies and what is needed to ensure their long-term sustainability. Drawing on lessons from the EU-funded Pluralistic Media for Democracy (PM4D) programme, the publication argues that supporting public interest journalism requires more than project grants. It requires stronger and more resilient information ecosystems that enable independent media to remain relevant, sustainable and connected to the communities they serve.

Authored by Clare Cook, Head of Journalism and Media Viability at IMS, and David Kardos, founder of the Center for Sustainable Media, with contributions from IMS advisers and based on evidence gathered through PM4D implementation, knowledge exchange among media practitioners and researchers, and discussions at the European Pluralistic Media Horizon Summit held in Brussels in May 2026, the report examines both the challenges facing local journalism in Europe and practical pathways forward.

A comprehensive approach to supporting media pluralism

Implemented by Journalismfund Europe and IMS, with funding from the European Commission, PM4D was designed to strengthen the resilience, sustainability and independence of public interest media across Europe. Between 2024 and 2026, the programme provided 46 media organisations across 16 European countries with an integrated package of EUR 1.4 million in financial support, audience insights, capacity development and peer learning.

What distinguished PM4D was its recognition that funding alone is rarely enough to strengthen independent media. Alongside grants, participants received tailored advisory support designed to improve audience understanding, multimedia storytelling, community engagement, technical innovation, business viability and organisational resilience. The programme also drew on the IMS Impact Framework, a user-centred impact-planning and learning tool that helps media organisations identify, track and assess change, while using evidence from their work to strengthen future editorial, organisational and sustainability strategies.

Evidence of change: audience-centred innovation and impact

The report shows that when financial support is combined with targeted capacity development, local media can do more than survive: they can innovate, grow audiences and strengthen their role within the communities they serve. Seventy-nine percent of participating organisations expanded direct audience engagement channels, 68 percent introduced new content formats and 63 percent demonstrated measurable community impact.

A key finding concerns the relationship between audience understanding, storytelling and sustainability. Through audience research, capacity development and experimentation with new formats, outlets became better equipped to adapt journalism to changing audience behaviours and distribute content across multiple platforms. The combined audience of participating organisations grew by 9.1 percent across websites and social media channels, while audience engagement also increased, particularly on visual and video-led platforms such as Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.

The report argues that stronger audience relationships create a foundation for long-term sustainability by helping media organisations turn audience trust into community, financial and strategic assets through initiatives such as donations, memberships, newsletters, events and partnerships.

These findings are brought to life through a series of impact stories from across Europe. They highlight how local newsrooms engaged young people as content creators, community media amplified underrepresented voices, investigative outlets developed secure platforms for citizen-generated evidence and publishers used AI to automate routine tasks and free up time for original reporting. Together, these examples demonstrate the real-world changes that PM4D support helped generate: stronger community engagement, improved access to information, greater civic participation and more resilient local media organisations with stronger foundations for long-term viability.

Looking ahead: from project support to resilient information ecosystems

The report arrives at a critical moment for Europe’s media sector. As policymakers discuss the next EU funding cycle, media freedom, platform regulation, AI governance and democratic resilience, it argues that local journalism should be recognised as part of Europe’s democratic infrastructure rather than simply another market sector. Drawing on PM4D’s experience, it calls for a shift from fragmented and short-term interventions towards a more coherent ecosystem approach, supported by practical recommendations for policymakers, media development organisations, funders, local media and researchers. At the heart of the report is the argument that strengthening public interest journalism requires not only funding, but also the skills, technology, audience relationships, shared infrastructure and supportive policy frameworks that enable independent media to thrive.

The report is available in English, French, Polish, Hungarian, Romanian and Portuguese, reflecting both the geographical reach of PM4D partners and IMS’ commitment to fostering evidence-informed discussions about media sustainability across Europe.

Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.