WHEN communities are cut off by conflict, displaced by violence, or trying to survive a humanitarian crisis, reliable information becomes even more of a practical necessity. Local journalists and public interest media outlets are often the only actors capable of reaching those communities in their own languages and through trusted channels, with the information they need to make decisions, access assistance and hold power to account.

Humanitarian organisations recognise this: they depend on local media to reach affected populations in ways that few other actors can replicate. And yet, these are precisely the media organisations least likely to survive without sustained, long-term external support.

Committed media support networks, such as the Global Forum for Media Development and IFPIM, are working hard to convince policymakers and donors of the evidence that without a robust media and information infrastructure, there is no resilient society.

Operating in fragile and conflict-affected settings means constantly navigating insecurity, mis- and disinformation, displacement, political harassment and economic precarity. Fondation Hirondelle, a media development actor with more than 30........

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