Facing donor withdrawal and rapid AI disruption, independent outlets explore fresh strategies for sustainability at Thomson Foundation’s regional masterclasses
Since the beginning of 2025, independent media in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the Western Balkans (WB) have been facing financial challenges that demand a fresh approach to sustainability. The withdraw of the USAID earlier this year has triggered a shift in the landscape of international donor funding. This new reality has created financial uncertainty for many media outlets across the two regions, which have historically relied on external support to sustain their operations.
At the same time, the rapid advancement of AI is reshaping the digital environment in which media outlets operate – regardless of whether they are small, mid- or large size.
The rise of AI changes everything – from how content is discovered through Google searches to overall audience engagement and traffic.
These technological changes necessitate that media organisations rethink their digital strategies and content optimisation to remain visible and relevant.
Amidst these pressures, there is a clear and urgent need for independent media to develop innovative financial models to ensure their survival and continued impact. To address these critical issues, the Thomson Foundation organised its “Breaking the Mold: Sustainable Business Models for Independent Media” masterclass series. The two events took pace in Bucharest (Romania) and Sofia (Bulgaria) in November.
The programme was specifically tailored for senior and mid-level managers, founders, editors, and strategic decision-makers within independent media, aiming to foster organisational transformation and enhance resilience through diversified revenue streams.
The masterclass agenda covered critical areas, beginning with a thorough media industry analysis, followed by sessions on diagnosing strategic priorities through tools like the Action Priority Matrix.
The programme equipped attendees with practical tools and strategic frameworks, providing real-world insights to rethink sustainability and drive innovation beyond traditional models. The focus on cost management and optimization of resources aimed to help media outlets improve their financial health by streamlining operations and identifying profitable areas.
A cornerstone of the masterclass was audience revenue development. Facilitators and participants explored how media organisations can cultivate effective audience strategies by creating unique value propositions and segmenting audiences based on various insights.
Participants learned to design and test new revenue ideas, operationalising audience development across editorial, marketing, and product/technology departments, and practicing the creation of audience personas. Throughout the two events, the discussions paid attention to key monetization tactics such as newsletters, paywalls, membership tiers, and donation campaigns.
Beyond audience-centric models, the masterclass series also explored diverse revenue streams including direct advertising sales, events, services, education, entertainment, and content licensing/syndication.
The highly practical “Shark-Tank: The Revenue Strategy Pitch” session allowed participants to present their draft revenue development plans and receive expert feedback. This sharpened their strategic thinking and refining ideas through dynamic peer learning and critique.
Participant feedback after the event highlighted the program’s strong relevance to their real-world strategic and financial challenges. The masterclass series in Sofia and Bucharest resonated with Thomson Foundation’s mission in the recent years, especially in the two regions – CEE and WB, to address critical capacity gaps within the independent media sector.
See more in the video below.
