Sustainable small media development
Sustainable small media development
smallmedia.io is the result of a collaboration between the Russian media collective
moloko plus and the Swedish journal Brand. Journalists from Russia and Sweden exchanged experiences of working in non-hierarchical, non-profit and independent small media, free from state censorship and the self-censorship of big commercial media. On smallmedia.io they have collected their recommendations and advice in hopes this may serve as a guide for creating and sustaining your own small media. The project was carried out with financial support from the Swedish Institute.
As political and economic pressures are making it ever harder for large independent media outlets in Russia to survive, the country's tradition of underground, DIY, samizdat publication is reemerging in a new form: A multitude of small projects, on small budgets, run by small teams of dedicated journalists and activists are often covering the most pressing issues and breaking the most critical news in Russia today. In Russia, this phenomenon has become known as small media. While there are Russian specificities to this development, similar tendencies can be observed elsewhere. This site is a resource for those wanting to launch their own small media, in Russia or beyond.
Creating small media
Creating small media
Group dynamics
How not to burn out and why the horizontal model can be more effective
Money
How to find money and keep small media going
Security
How to protect yourself from censorship, hacking and violence
Mutual aid
How to find supporters and why mutual support provides journalists with independence
PR
How to reach your audience and why even small media projects need to be noticeable
Brand magazine goes to Moscow
A presentation about Brand, given during their visit to Moscow in February 2020