International Center for Journalists

What International Center for Journalists does

International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization founded in 1984 that operates a global network enabling journalists to deliver trustworthy news. It serves three primary beneficiary segments: professional journalists worldwide (through training, fellowships, safety resources, and the IJNet platform), journalism students (most notably via the Global Business Journalism master's program at Tsinghua University in Beijing, run with Bloomberg News since 2007 and producing 500+ graduates from over 70 countries), and news organizations (through capacity-building and the Plus Hub shared technical services initiative). The organization runs up to 70 programs annually and is governed by a Board of Directors under the leadership of President Sharon Moshavi.

ICFJ's product and program portfolio spans multiple modalities. Its core platforms include the Plus platform (a civic-intelligence initiative spun out as the multi-organization Plus Alliance), IJNet (an online resource and networking hub), the Pamela Howard Forum on Crisis Reporting, the Chasing the Story podcast, and ICFJ Voices content platform. Its award ecosystem includes the Knight International Journalism Award, the Founders Award for Excellence in Journalism, the Excellence in International Reporting Award, and the Open the Knowledge Journalism Awards (the latter in partnership with Wikimedia Foundation to address Africa's 3.7% share of English-language Wikipedia articles). The Plus Hub extends into operational infrastructure, providing enterprise-level technical services to news providers.

The organization's revenue model is consistent with its nonprofit status: foundation and institutional grants (Knight Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Google News Initiative), individual donations, and corporate sponsorship of events such as the annual Tribute to Journalists Awards Dinner. Geographic reach spans North America, East Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa, and Europe. Strategic partnerships anchor the model, including Tsinghua University and Bloomberg News (academic), the Knight Foundation (awards), Wikimedia Foundation (knowledge equity), and Cloudflare's Project Galileo (cybersecurity). No AI/ML capabilities, patents, or proprietary technology products are disclosed in the available material.

Name

International Center for Journalists

Legal name

International Center for Journalists

Website

https://icfj.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit founded in 1984 that empowers a global network of journalists through training programs, fellowships, awards, and platforms like Plus and IJNet, serving media professionals, journalism students, and news organizations worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Journalism Training and Media Development Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Educational Support Services (61171), International Affairs (92812)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Multilateral Diplomacy & International Representation (UN, Regional Bodies) (BPAIAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

United Nations System & Specialized Agencies (BPADAAAA)

Keywords

• Journalism training programs
• Journalist fellowships
• Media capacity building
• Journalism awards
• Newsroom support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Institutional Grants: ICFJ receives funding from foundations such as the Knight Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Google News Initiative, and others to support journalism programs globally.
2. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute to support ICFJ's mission of empowering journalists worldwide.
3. Corporate Sponsorship: Annual Awards Dinners and events are sponsored by major media companies including Dow Jones, Bloomberg, News Corp, and others.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ICFJ delivers journalism training, fellowships, awards, and capacity-building programs to journalists and news organizations worldwide. The organization runs the Plus platform (civic intelligence), the International Journalists' Network (IJNet), the Global Business Journalism master's program at Tsinghua University, the Plus Hub shared-services initiative, and annual awards dinners such as the Knight International Journalism Awards.

Product overview

ICFJ operates as a nonprofit organization enabling a global network of journalists to provide trustworthy news essential to free and strong societies. The core offerings include the Plus platform (civic intelligence), the Global Business Journalism Program (GBJ) at Tsinghua University (educational/training), the International Journalists' Network (IJNet), and various award programs including the ICFJ Knight International Journalism Awards, ICFJ Tribute to Journalists, and Open the Knowledge Journalism Awards. Additional initiatives include the Plus Hub (shared technical services), the Pamela Howard Forum on Crisis Reporting, internship programs, the ICFJ Voices content platform, and the Chasing the Story podcast. The organization focuses on training, awards, and resources for journalists rather than commercial software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ICFJ+: ICFJ+ was rebranded to Plus Alliance, a joint initiative with Code for Africa, European Journalism Centre, and PROTO to cultivate civic intelligence.
• Plus Alliance

Products and services

• Plus Platform A platform that cultivates civic intelligence by helping news providers and civic information organizations access shared resources and reach audiences.
• International Journalists' Network (IJNet) A global online network providing journalists with training resources, tools, best practices, and professional connections to enhance their reporting.
• Plus Hub A shared services initiative that gives information and news providers access to shared, enterprise-level technical support and services they cannot afford on their own.
• Pamela Howard Forum on Crisis Reporting A forum providing resources, training, and support for journalists covering humanitarian crises and emergencies.
• Global Business Journalism Program (GBJ) An elite two-year master's degree program at Tsinghua University in Beijing, a partnership between ICFJ, Tsinghua University, and Bloomberg News, training students to cover China's economy and the global economy.
• ICFJ Knight International Journalism Award Annual awards honoring journalists who show extraordinary courage in bringing vital information to audiences in countries with conflict and press freedom challenges.
• Open the Knowledge Journalism Awards Awards program celebrating contributions of journalists in Africa who prioritize accuracy, depth, and inclusion in their reporting.
• ICFJ Tribute to Journalists (Awards Dinner) Annual awards dinner celebrating outstanding journalists whose news reports and analyses have had tremendous impact, also serving as a major fundraising and engagement event.
• Whayne Dillehay Internship Program An internship program providing talented young people from diverse backgrounds with opportunities to work at ICFJ and gain experience in an international journalism environment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ master's degree graduates in business journalism
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Wikimedia FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2026ICFJ and Wikimedia Foundation partner on the Open the Knowledge Journalism Awards, recognizing African journalists whose reporting can serve as source material for Wikipedia to address the platform's underrepresentation of Africa (currently 3.7% of English-language articles).
• Cloudflare (Project Galileo)coreTechnology or Integration · 18 June 2026Cloudflare's Project Galileo provides free cybersecurity services to civil society organizations including ICFJ and journalists. The project now supports more than 3,400 domains across 120 countries, protecting against DDoS attacks and vulnerability exploitation.
• Tsinghua UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 September 2007ICFJ partners with Tsinghua University in Beijing to operate the Global Business Journalism (GBJ) program, an elite two-year master's degree program in business journalism. The program has graduated over 500 students from more than 70 countries since its launch in 2007.
• Bloomberg NewsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 September 2007Bloomberg News is a key partner in the Global Business Journalism program, providing the Bloomberg Lab with the largest number of terminals donated to any university in the world, along with editorial expertise and faculty support.
• European Journalism CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe European Journalism Centre (EJC) joined the Plus Alliance (formerly ICFJ+) as a constituent member, joining Code for Africa, ICFJ, and PROTO in this expanding joint initiative.
• Code for AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCode for Africa is a constituent member of the Plus Alliance initiative focused on supporting civic intelligence and news providers.
• PROTOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPROTO is a constituent member of the Plus Alliance initiative supporting journalism and civic information.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Reporters Without Borders (RSF): Paris-based international NGO defending press freedom and supporting journalists globally. Directly comparable to ICFJ as a press-freedom advocacy and journalist-support organization operating across multiple geographies.
• Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ): U.S.-based nonprofit promoting press freedom worldwide and providing safety/resources to journalists. Closely comparable to ICFJ in mission, award programs, and donor-funded model.
• Internews: International nonprofit supporting independent media and information access globally. Comparable to ICFJ in training journalists, building newsroom capacity, and securing foundation and government funding.
• European Journalism Centre (EJC): Netherlands-based journalism development foundation that has now joined the Plus Alliance alongside ICFJ. Directly comparable mission around journalist training, innovation, and cross-border journalism programs.
• Free Press Unlimited: Dutch NGO supporting independent journalism and press freedom in restrictive environments. Comparable to ICFJ in providing safety resources, training, and emergency support for journalists worldwide.

Broad incumbents

• International Federation of Journalists (IFJ): Global federation of journalists' trade unions and associations. Broader incumbent in press freedom and journalist welfare with a membership/union model overlapping ICFJ's mission.
• IREX: Global development organization supporting education, media, and civic engagement. Comparable to ICFJ in media development programs, capacity building, and foundation/U.S.-government funding sources.

Emerging players

• Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: Oxford-based research center focused on global journalism trends and training. Comparable research, training, and thought-leadership angle to ICFJ's IJNet and broader programming.
• Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting: U.S. nonprofit supporting investigative journalism on underreported global issues. Comparable to ICFJ in funding journalists, training programs, and supporting crisis/reporting initiatives.

Others

• Knight Foundation: Major U.S. foundation funding journalism and press freedom, including ICFJ's Knight International Journalism Awards. Adjacent funder/peer that shapes the same journalism-development ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/icfj
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCaHBPhac94IAyOY2oWcvsrg
• Facebookfacebook.com/ICFJ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-center-for-journalists

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Center for Journalists