Post by Media Development Investment Fund

The year is 2016 and a #journalist with decades of experience senses a seismic shift in the way #news will be consumed in the future. He shares his idea about using #Facebook to report news from the ground with fellow journalists. The result? He gets laughed off. Sher Afzal isn’t deterred and establishes Hazara Express News, which has grown from reporting local incident updates to now being a trusted digital voice in the #Hazara region of Pakistan’s #KhyberPakhtunkhwa province. From training university students to launching community segments, Hazara Express filled a gap left when most regional #newspapers shut down post-COVID. When Hazara Express joined MDIF’s #AmplifyAsia program in 2024, it was ready to scale. Through structured coaching, #revenue planning, #marketing strategy and newsroom hires, the outlet increased marketing revenue by 40% and diversified partnerships across universities, NGOs and local businesses. Sher Afzal’s journey is a powerful reminder of the value of conviction coupled with planning for long-term #sustainability. Want to know how he did it? Read here 👇 https://lnkd.in/d7H7Hws8