Journalists who spent their careers at Voice of America and the U.S. Agency for Global Media have launched nine independent newsrooms, backed by $420,000 in seed funding and a year of incubation support from American University, as the first cohort of its Freedom Media Innovation Lab.
The Lab, cosponsored by American University's Kogod School of Business, the Veloric Center for Entrepreneurship, and the School of Communication, pairs entrepreneurship training with a venture competition to help displaced journalists build credible, financially sustainable news organizations in regions where press freedom is under threat.
Each funded venture receives between $35,000 and $50,000, plus incubation support from the university through the end of 2026. "These are journalists who spent their careers delivering fact-based news to audiences that had few other sources. When that infrastructure disappeared, the need didn't. We gave them the tools to build the next version themselves," said Susan Apgood, Program Lead for the Freedom Media Innovation Lab and a professional lecturer in management at AU's Kogod School of Business.
Over four weeks in July, participants completed a bootcamp led by AU faculty covering lean startup methods, AI for media operations, financial modeling and small-business tax, and brand storytelling. In August, graduates pitched their ventures to a panel of judges from journalism, business, and investment. Ventures were evaluated on impact, market need, sustainability, and team strength.
“When the institution these journalists spent their careers in disappeared, they did what good communicators do: they made sense of it and got to work. I can't wait to see what these nine newsrooms accomplish said Dr. Marnel Niles Goins, Dean of the School of Communication at American University. "These journalists spent their careers in service of an informed public, and they're still at it."
Our job was to give them a runway: the training, the funding, and the time to build something that lasts. I can't think of a better way to live this university's mission," said David Marchick, Interim President of American University, who moderated the program's panel on entrepreneurship in new media.
The funded ventures are:
Tiny Mighty News — An AI-powered local news platform for communities across the Global South.
Ardently — An app-first culture magazine for Gen Z and millennial readers.
UNMUTED — A journalism and community platform for women, with content reaching Russian-speaking audiences.
Free Post — A bilingual Bangla-English newsroom covering Bangladesh.
Veridia | Beyond Headlines — Bilingual analysis of U.S.–China relations.
Asia Forward — A video podcast connecting U.S. business and Southeast Asia.
Agasaro Media Network (The Bridge Conversation) — Independent news for Tibetans and the Himalayan region.
Pulso — Social-first video fact-checking for young Latin American and diaspora audiences.
Uyghur Rights Monitor — Investigative reporting and policy briefs on repression in the Uyghur Region.
To learn more about the program and the ventures, or to support the Lab's work, visit the Lab's website.