Media Development Loan Fund

Template:TOCnestleft Media Development Loan Fund is a New York-based non-profit that "provides loans to independent news outlets in countries with a history of media oppression".

About

Media Development Loan Fund is a mission-driven investment fund for independent news outlets in countries "with a history of media oppression. We provide low-cost capital and technical know-how to help journalists in challenging environments build sustainable businesses around professional, responsible, quality journalism.

Working in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Southeast Europe and the CIS, we help essential independent news providers to expand their audience, improve their news products and become financially self-sustainable.

MDLF provides leading journalists with the support they need to create lasting institutions for change".

Founded in 1995, MDLF is a New York-registered not-for-profit corporation with 501(c)(3) public charity status.

Founders

MDLF was founded in 1995 by Sasa Vucinic and Stuart Auerbach.

Sasa was a Serbian journalist and media manager who had run B92, Belgrade's leading independent radio station, during the early years of the Milosevic regime, while Auerbach was a vastly experienced Washington Post journalist and foreign correspondent. Though from very different backgrounds, they "shared a passion for quality journalism and a belief in the importance of independent media".

Together they had the idea of launching a ‘media bank' to help leading journalists in countries with a history of media oppression build sustainable news businesses, strong enough to stay independent of governments, political parties and oligarchs.

Sixteen years after making its first loan to a small Slovakian newspaper called SME, MDLF has grown faster than they - or anyone - imagined. MDLF has now provided well over $100 million in affordable financing and helped about 80 independent news businesses to flourish and grow.

Auerbach died in 2003. Sasa served as Managing Director from 1995 until March 2011.

Board of Directors

As of 2011;

• Bernard Poulet (Chair) Chief Editor, L'Expansion
• Ying Chan Director, Journalism and Media Studies Centre, The University of Hong Kong
• Sheila Coronel Professor of Professional Practice, Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism, Columbia University
• Annette Laborey Executive Director, Open Society Institute
• Gerald Nagler Founder and former Executive Director/Chairman, Swedish Helsinki Committee for Human Rights
• Aryeh Neier President, Open Society Institute
• Alexander Papachristou President, Near East Foundation
• John Ryle Legrand Ramsey Professor of Anthropology, Bard College, New York, and Chair of the Rift Valley Institute
• Harlan Mandel CEO, MDLF

Previous Chairs and Board members

• Sasa Vucinic: 1995-2011
• Kenneth Anderson: 1995-2009 (Chair 1997-2009)
• Stuart Auerbach: 1995-2003 (Chair 1996-1997)
• Roberto Eisenmann: 2001-2001
• Konstanty Gebert: 1997-2000
• Jan Urban: 1997-1999

Team

As of 2011;]

• Harlan M. Mandel, Chief Executive Officer
• Marie Nemcova, Chief Operating Officer
• Shubha Bala, Program Officer
• Izabela Biniek, Administrative Assistant
• Katarzyna Bobak, Financial Analyst
• Mari Budesa, Chief Financial Officer
• Joy Curtin, Deputy Chief Financial Officer
• Konstanty Gebert, Media Consultant
• Jaroslaw Gora, Senior Investment Advisor
• Jana Havrdova, Administrative Assistant
• Michal Hruska, Information Systems Consultant
• Jiri Jiracek, IT Consultant
• Syed Karim, Director of Innovation and Digital Strategies
• Anna-Maria Krynska, Chief Investment Officer
• Michael Lee, Controller
• Kristyna Machova, Program Officer
• Zdenka Mackova, Program Assistant*
• Rashid Malik, Senior Financial Analyst
• Hana Markova, Account Manager
• Matt Miner, Administrative Assistant
• Anna Pagul, Accountant
• Tessa Piper, Program Director for Asia
• Elena Popovic, Secretary and General Counsel
• Patrice Schneider, Chief Strategy Officer
• Chad Shults, Program Assistant
• Martina Slesingerova, Accountant
• Janusz Slupek, Financial Analyst
• Lenny Strongin, Junior Accountant
• Aleksandar Sukiban, Coordinator/Assistant to General Counsel
• Peter Whitehead, Director of Communications

Funders and lenders

Since starting work in 1996, many foundations and organisations have supported different MDLF projects in different ways. Each "contribution has increased access to independent news for someone somewhere in the world".

Funders of MDLF's Loan/Investment Pool, include:

• Association of Alternative Newsweeklies
• Bank Vontobel
• Calvert Social Investment Foundation
• DOEN Foundation
• Dreilinden gGmbH
• Foundation for Democracy and Media
• Fritt Ord Foundation
• John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
• Omidyar Network
• Open Society Institute
• Oxfam Novib
• responsAbility Ventures I
• Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida)
• Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
• Alexej Fulmek
• David Haas

And the generous support from:

• Council of Europe
• Eurasia Foundation
• International Media Support
• J.M. Kaplan Fund
• Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
• Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Swedish Helsinki Committee for Human Rights
• United Nations Development Program
• U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights & Labor
• World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers

References

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