Independent media has been rapidly outpaced by digital platforms capturing global advertising and subscription revenues with AI-powered reach.


The MVA helps independent media compete more effectively for audiences and revenue, preserving their crucial role in holding power accountable and supporting informed decision-making.
Better decisions
Data-driven decisions for media success and growth



Turn data into action
With so much data available, it is essential to identify what is relevant and actionable. The MVA enables segmentation of data, so that media outlets can be inspired frequently by how others, with similar market and organizational characteristics, behave.

Data pooling
Pool data, protect privacy, and learn from global insights
Recognizing excellence, finding solutions
Connecting independent media with the right support
Many organizations offer investment, funding, and tools to support independent media, but finding partners is challenging. The MVA simplifies this by connecting media with relevant solution providers, including businesses, funders and program implementers, via the MVA Solutions marketplace.

The MVA data universe
MVA Insights: automated, data-driven analysis for media outlets
- Context
- Characteristics of the primary country/region and the type of media outlet.
- Availability
- The accessibility of their output.
- Resonance
- How well their content connects with audiences.
- Performance
- Organizational efficiency and success metrics.
- Effectiveness
- Their ability to define and uphold vision, mission, and values.

FAQs
Frequently asked questions
How is the MVA governed?
The governance structure of the MVA led by a Steering Committee, consisting of the Funders (USAID and Microsoft), which provide strategic input, and the Lead Implementer (Internews), which manages MVA operations. This Committee is responsible for achieving the objectives of the MVA and makes day-to-day decisions about the MVA’s operations.
The MVA will also has an informal advisory board for broader input from representatives of media outlets, media support groups, and academia. The Advisory Board meets and provides feedback and advice to ensure the MVA is iterated and run with integrity, openness, and transparency. Other governance structures are still being defined and organized, but the MVA will adhere to principles of broad engagement, consultation and transparency.
How is the MVA currently supported?
The MVA’s development is well-documented and the MVA team are currently rolling out guidance on how to effectively put it to use. This includes documentation describing how MVA Insights works and also how to integrate with MVA Solutions. Options for reaching a (human) support desk are also available.
In what jurisdiction does the MVA operate?
Who controls user data and how do users manage it?
As the lead implementing organization of the MVA, Internews is responsible for ensuring the MVA’s compliance with relevant data protection principles and practices.
Internews and the MVA Partners are working towards a governance structure that ensures no organization will have preferred access to or insights from the sector’s use of the MVA when it goes live — including Internews.
Data is stored in Microsoft Azure. The Azure customer data protection page states that “Microsoft does not inspect, approve, or monitor applications that customers deploy to Azure. Moreover, Microsoft does not know what kind of data customers choose to store in Azure. Microsoft does not claim data ownership over the customer information that’s entered into Azure.” This is an industry standard practice.
User data is managed in accordance with all data protection regulations and data residency requirements applicable in each of the countries where the MVA operates, such as GDPR for MVA users in the European Union.
What control do users have over who can access their data?
How are you ensuring that the MVA is secure?
Can the MVA be used by media outlets operating in the most hostile environments?
Personally Identifiable Information (“PII”) in the MVA is encrypted. Great care is being taken to enable the protection of PII related to media outlets and users operating in hostile environments. One of the primary aims of the MVA is to help independent media survive where they are under greatest threat.
The MVA does not benchmark media outlets on a per-country basis. Instead, it offers benchmarking according to characteristics of media outlets (e.g., hard news) and markets (e.g., low press freedom).
You will still be able to see your data in full, of course; and if you want to, you’ll be able to share any of it with partners you trust. But nobody will be able to trace your data back to you or your target country — unless you decide otherwise.
How accessible is the MVA?
We know that some MVA uses will have intermittent and unstable access to the Internet, and that in general we want pages of the MVA to load quickly and efficiently. The MVA has therefore been designed with this in mind. It has also been developed to deliver alerts containing useful information and insights without users needing to log in. In addition to this, the MVA will comply with two US-based frameworks that help ensure wide accessibility: the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 508 Guidelines.