Post by Media Development Investment Fund

What does it take to reinvent a media venture when the original idea hits a roadblock? In Amplify Asia, MDIF’s #media support and #mentorship program, we’ve had a front-row seat to Suluh | formerly Faqcheck’s evolution. Formerly known as Faqcheck Lab, its journey is a case study in #pivots, painful lessons and hard-won clarity. As Khalil Majeed, its Project Director writes, “This is a story about making mistakes. Big ones, small ones and a few possibly catastrophic ones.” From an ambitious inter-#newsroom fact-checking collaboration in 2019, to training universities when COVID-19 halted newsroom partnerships, Suluh kept adapting. Realising the dangers of #donor reliance and the unpredictability that follows, the leaders took a bold decision that took "Faqcheck to the back of the barn and shot it". And an eight-hour reckoning later, Suluh was born: a model that applies journalistic rigour to produce in-depth #industry reports and generating revenue to fund public-interest #journalism. For independent media leaders, the lesson is clear: don’t fall in love with your first model. Adapt fast. Let go of ego. Build sustainable engines for the public good. Read their full reflection here: https://lnkd.in/dDFgaSRw