Non-Profit Scaling: How can a German media development organization go global?

In a world that is increasingly threatened by complex geopolitical conflicts, anthropogenic climate change, and the rise of misinformation through internet channels, there is also increased news avoidance, declining trust levels in journalism, and diminishing interest in the news. The Bonn Institute’s mission (BI) is to explore how journalism needs to change to remain relevant now and in the future. 

Constructive or solutions journalism is an evidence-based journalistic approach focused on reporting on responses to social problems, emphasizing how and why these responses are working successfully in ways that others might learn from. This
decade-old field is growing, but the pace is threatened by the profit-seeking nature of the business, which deters newsrooms from deploying too many resources on solutions reporting. This challenge is compounded by the disintegration of the
traditional business model of journalism, advertising, which has exponentially declined since the rise of the internet. Furthermore, the industry's ingrained negativity bias and compassion fatigue among audiences, along with a penchant for
sensationalism and clickbait, exacerbates the situation by favoring content that attracts immediate attention rather than thoughtful engagement.

This Capstone project supported the Bonn Institute in developing an organizational strategy that will allow them to expand their reach outside of Germany and become a leader in the field of journalism, bringing their expertise and vision to newsrooms in other regions and supporting their financial sustainability. The team conducted research and interviews with professionals from the industry in order to understand the competitive landscape in which the Bonn Institute operates. The research explored key elements of BI’s strategy, including its product offerings, competitive advantage, partnership strategies, financial sustainability, and key performance indicators. The team conducted a product, landscape, and SWOT analysis, and developed a theory of change framework to help Bonn develop both short- and long-term KPIs for the organization. The recommendations were centered around taking advantage of BI’s regional strength, developing strategic partnerships, impact measurement, and prioritizing products based on an evaluation using self-developed indicators.