MDIF Portfolio Review 2020

The MDIF Portfolio Review 2020 offers insights into the performance of our investment portfolio, our clients’ critical work and our various initiatives to support independent media around the world in 2020. See the interactive Portfolio Review presentation.

In the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, these have and will continue to be trying times, as you can read in the Portfolio Review 2020. Yet despite all the hardships, the crisis also underscored the value of public service media, showing that – in keeping with MDIF’s mission statement – timely, accurate, relevant information is critical to free societies. As the pandemic wears on, we continue helping clients emerge from this unprecedented emergency leaner, more agile and better at serving their communities.

As we look back on 2020 and its extraordinary and daunting challenges, I believe we can see that MDIF was able to rise to meet them, using our unique role in media development to provide vital support and assistance to scores of independent media companies across the globe.

Harlan Mandel
MDIF Chief Executive Officer

The key metrics from the Portfolio Review include:

• In 2020, the MDIF portfolio spanned 47 independent media companies, spread across 29 countries, employing more than 5,800 journalists, managers and other media workers.
• Last year, we invested a total of $5.7 million in 16 media companies across 13 countries, nine of them new to our portfolio.
• We ended December 31, 2020 with $114.5 million total assets under management.
•  For 88% of surveyed MDIF clients, Covid-19 had a negative impact on their business, with the biggest challenge being, by far, the economic impact and decline in revenues.
• MDIF-supported media continued making a difference in their communities, cities, regions and countries, reaching 262 million people with news and information, including vital Covid-19 information.
• Their tireless dedication and professionalism was outstanding: 59.5% of MDIF-supported media organisations were recognized with awards. We counted 90 honours and accolades in 2020.