Revenue Axis: Strengthening Investigative Journalism Through Sustainable Revenue

Feature

OCCRP and Report for the World are empowering investigative newsrooms worldwide to build sustainable revenue and maintain editorial independence in a rapidly changing media landscape.

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Revenue Axis is a multi-donor initiative designed to help investigative journalism outlets navigate a rapidly changing funding landscape and achieve long-term financial sustainability.

Led by OCCRP and developed in partnership with Report for the World, Revenue Axis was created in direct response to shrinking U.S. government support for journalism and the broader contraction of independent media funding. The program provides a critical lifeline and a strategic roadmap for 27 global newsrooms striving to maintain editorial independence while building resilient revenue models.

“The media landscape is changing almost daily, as people turn to influencers rather than journalists to understand the world,” said OCCRP Publisher Drew Sullivan. “Revenue Axis helps media devise new ways to monetize their work so they can compete and better serve the public.”

The program begins with a structured curriculum of weekly sessions covering essential topics such as defining unique value propositions, building audience engagement, and launching revenue-driving products, including newsletters and membership initiatives. These sessions are designed not just to teach theory, but to help newsrooms evaluate and prioritize revenue opportunities that are both feasible and impactful for their specific context.

Participating outlets — including iStories (Russia), Voice of Democracy (Cambodia), Mikroskop (Azerbaijan), and Belarusian Investigative Center — are paired with experienced consultants and matched one-on-one with mentors. These partnerships allow each newsroom to design and implement revenue strategies tailored to their audiences, markets, and organizational goals.

“Revenue Axis enabled us to devise distinctive and feasible revenue-generating activities, allowing us to effectively address our short- and medium-term sustainability,” said participant Ewald Scharfenberg, the co-director of Armando.info, a Venezuelan media outlet working in exile. “Above all, they helped us to develop these activities within a coherent strategic framework.”

What sets Revenue Axis apart is its hands-on, newsroom-centered approach. The program combines core support funding with targeted resources to help outlets experiment with revenue-generating initiatives beyond traditional grant funding. Participants receive dedicated funding to hire specialized experts — from audience strategists to product and business development professionals — who support the creation and launch of projects that can generate sustainable income.

Report for the World Executive Director Preethi Nallu said: "We are thrilled to work with OCCRP in building deeper impact, engagement, and revenue diversification support for their media partners at such a crucial time for investigative journalism. Report for the World has supported full time revenue and impact specialists at other outlets and we hope to nurture similar roles through Revenue Axis."

Revenue Axis is a collaborative effort, co-developed and delivered with strategic partners including, the International Press Institute (IPI), the Center for Sustainable Media, and Gazzetta. Together, these partners bring deep expertise in journalism, business sustainability, and newsroom innovation, ensuring participants receive practical, tailored guidance every step of the way.

As Head of Innovation and Media Business at IPI Ryan Powell explains: “Financial sustainability underpins the ability to do journalism independent of outside influence. Developing market-specific, audience-centered revenue streams now creates more room to operate independently later.”

This initiative is made possible through the generous support of a coalition of donors — Limelight, Adessium, the Sub3 Foundation, the Fred Foundation, and Civitates — whose commitment ensures that independent investigative journalism can continue to thrive, adapt, and serve the public interest in an increasingly challenging media environment.