International Media Fund

The International Media Fund was created in 1990 by with the aid of Marvin Stone, (former deputy director of the USIA) and the backing of US Secretary of State James Baker to "to help establish independent, non-governmental media across the former Communist bloc." 


 * "In 1996, Marvin Stone disbanded his International Media Fund because his USAID funders wanted a tighter policy rein on media development. USAID had won a turf battle with USIS over managing media aid, which meant that government-funded media development projects now had to serve USAID's policy objectives. At that point, "helping independent media was not seen as an independent activity," one IREX veteran recalls. "Those doing the assistance to independent media were looked on more and more as agents of the U.S. government, as indeed they were.""

Although the International Media Fund was disbanded in 1996, an informal coalition of international donors active in media development in Macedonia is also called the International Media Fund (there work seems to be identical to that of the former organization) - for further details see here.

The successor was the Pro-Media Program of the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX).

Leonard H. Marks founded the IMF.

Related SourceWatch resources

 * Diana Lady Dougan - cofounder
 * Article 19
 * Central Europe Media Enterprises
 * Committee to Protect Journalists
 * European Fund for Freedom of Expression
 * Freedom Forum
 * International Federation of Journalists
 * Knight Ridder Fellowship Program
 * Media Loan Development Fund
 * Press Now
 * Soros Network Media Program