"In FY2024, the US Congress approved $271.5 million in foreign assistance through the US State Department and USAID in the category of “Independent Media and Free Flow of Information”. Of this, an estimated $150 million directly funded journalism and media support, with the remainder supporting ... the wider information ecosystem and enabling environment through related topics such as freedom of expression, technology policy and digital rights (often with significant overlap between programming). In 2025 and beyond, the vast majority of this funding will disappear – potentially for good. The sudden revocation of funding has dealt a devastating blow to local media outlets, forcing many to shut down or drastically reduce their operations. This has cut off crucial financial support and resources, leaving journalists without the means to continue their vital work when they need it most. The media outlets that have been most reliant on US Government (USG) funding are those operating in the world’s most challenging and volatile environments – conflict zones, authoritarian regimes, disaster-affected regions and underserved communities where access to reliable information can be a matter of life and death. In these contexts, other business models, such as advertising or subscriptions, are often non-existent or unreliable. And it’s not just media organisations that have been devastated by these cuts – associated support organisations, such as unions, training institutions, legal services, and advocacy bodies, have also been severely impacted. Many of the global media outlets that received USG funding have had to immediately cut staff and reduce coverage, while almost all face reduced ability to operate, and uncertainty around longer-term viability. For media operating in high-risk or authoritarian contexts, funding cuts have dramatically increased their vulnerability, not only by weakening operations but by exposing them to greater legal and physical threats. As “lawfare” tactics like defamation suits and restrictive media laws rise, so too do coordinated attacks on journalists’ digital and physical safety – deliberate efforts to silence dissent and suppress democratic discourse. While some partners have been able to temporarily maintain operations, without new funding, the resulting reduction in capacity looks set to deteriorate further." (Overview, page 2) more

"There is no accessible media in the Rohingya language, leaving the Rohingya population of well over a million, now spread between Myanmar and Bangladesh, reliant on information only available in languages other than their own [...] This assessment, conducted in the Cox’s Bazar region of Banglades ... h in late October 2017, examines the information ecosystem facing the area’s crisis affected population (introduction). According to the executive summary (page 10), "mobile phones were one of the main sources to send and receive information prior to arrival in the camps, which indicates a high household’s ownership of mobile phone sets (64%). Within newly arrived families, smart phones are mainly used by adult men between age 15 to 24; many of them have taken an active role to mingle with others, access to Facebook and YouTube, and bring information back to the households. Some of the young boys with smart phones have said to spend major amount of credit on data rather than voice connectivity. Also, young men find places to gather, such as shops, where they can charge phones and share information with others of the same age. The lack of access to information and communication channels should perhaps not be surprising, given the enormous challenges presented by the information landscape. 71% of the affected population has had no formal education of any kind, and 77% of the refugee population is illiterate in any language. The Rohingya dialect, the main language spoken by 96% of the refugee population, has no agreed written script. It is technically illegal for refugees to purchase SIM cards. Access to radio sets is limited, and the signal is weak in many areas. What mass media that is available, is in Bangla or Chittigonian. 81% of refugees do not currently listen to the radio." more