What Nearmedia does

NearMedia LLC is a privately held U.S. consulting firm founded circa 2011 by Lisa Schnellinger (President and Principal Consultant) and Tom Willard (Executive Vice President), with a headcount in the 1-10 range and a registered presence in Georgia. The firm delivers five integrated professional-service lines: data analysis, project management, consulting, training, and content production. Its commercial focus is media development and journalism capacity-building in fragile states and emerging democracies, spanning more than 15 countries across Asia (Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Indonesia, Cambodia, Timor-Leste), the Middle East (Iraq, Egypt), the Caucasus (Armenia, Georgia), and the Pacific Islands (Samoa, Vanuatu, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Fiji).

The firm's proprietary assets include the 'Free and Fair' journalism handbook (published in 10 languages), the 'Fighting Words' manual, and three registered media platforms co-created for Pakistan: News Lens Pakistan (a national news cooperative publishing daily in Urdu, Pashto, and English), Truth Tracker (a promise-tracking and fact-checking website), and PakPolWiki (an elections resource). These platforms, plus ongoing journalism-training methodologies and elections-coverage curricula, form the underlying technology and intellectual-property base. No AI/ML, APIs, or software-as-a-service components are disclosed.

NearMedia operates a sales-led, project-based professional-services model rather than a subscription or platform model. Revenue flows from direct consulting engagements with international development organizations, foundations, and government agencies (USAID/OTI, U.S. State Department DRL, U.S. Embassy in Pakistan, UNAMA, UNDP, DFID, UNESCO, Carnegie Corporation, Knight Foundation). Individual program budgets identified span $500K to $3.5M, though these represent total program sizes rather than the firm's capture. Customer acquisition is referral-driven through the international media-development ecosystem rather than through active marketing, and pricing is not publicly disclosed. The firm also co-founded and jointly controls Verista, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (incorporated 2012) focused on media standards, education, and arts.

Name

Nearmedia

Legal name

NearMedia LLC

Website

https://nearmediallc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NearMedia LLC is a small U.S. consulting firm providing data analysis, project management, training, and content production services focused on media development and journalism capacity-building for international donors, foundations, and news organizations in fragile states and emerging democracies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Media Development Consulting

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Career & Technical Education (CTE) & Trade Skills Media (EDAGALAG)

Keywords

• Media development consulting
• Journalism training services
• International development consulting
• Elections coverage training
• Accountability journalism support

Headquarters

HQ city

Jasper

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Professional consulting engagements providing data analysis, project management, and strategic advisory services to global companies and international development organizations
2. Training Services: High-impact practical training programs in journalism skills, elections coverage, and media development for journalists in emerging regions
3. Content Production: Production of training materials, news content, photography exhibits, and media resources for international clients

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

NearMedia LLC is a professional services firm offering data analysis, project management, consulting, training, and content production services for global companies, with a primary specialization in international media development. Its core work involves designing and managing media development programs, training journalists in accountability and elections reporting in emerging democracies, and producing training materials and news content. The firm also develops specialized digital platforms including News Lens Pakistan, Truth Tracker, and PakPolWiki as part of its media development portfolio.

Product overview

NearMedia LLC is a consulting firm offering a unified suite of professional services for global companies, comprising data analysis, project management, consulting, training, and content production. The company operates as a single integrated service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Key service areas include media development consulting, journalism training programs, and interactive content production. The firm also develops specialized platforms including News Lens Pakistan (national news cooperative), Truth Tracker (fact-checking website), and PakPolWiki (election resource). NearMedia has worked extensively on international media development projects across Asia and the Middle East, particularly in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt, Iraq, and Timor-Leste, providing program design, project management, and training services to news organizations and media development initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Consulting Services Strategic consulting for media organizations, including business strategy, technology solutions architecture, and program design. Targeted at global companies and international development organizations.
• Training Services High-impact practical training in accountability journalism skills, new media tools, elections coverage, and production of training materials. Targeted at journalists in emerging democracies and developing regions.
• Content Production Services Production of interactive content, data visualizations, training courses, news and feature articles, photography exhibits, and media resources. Targeted at international clients, news organizations, and galleries.
• Data Analysis Services Data analysis services for global companies, including analytics, data visualization, and business intelligence consulting. Targeted at international development organizations and news agencies.
• Project Management Services Program design and project management services for media development initiatives across multiple countries and regions. Targeted at international development organizations and donor-funded programs.
• News Lens Pakistan A national news cooperative publishing daily in Urdu, Pashto and English, co-created by NearMedia as a media development initiative in Pakistan. Targeted at Pakistani readers and the international news ecosystem.
• Truth Tracker A promise-tracking and fact-checking website developed for Pakistan to monitor and verify political promises and statements. Targeted at Pakistani citizens, journalists, and political accountability advocates.
• PakPolWiki A resource website on elections in Pakistan, providing information and tracking on political processes. Targeted at Pakistani citizens, journalists, and researchers.
• ChattahoocheeNow A hyperlocal news website designed to reach the 2 million annual visitors to the Chattahoochee National Forest and the population of the 18 bordering counties. Targeted at Georgia residents and national forest visitors.
• Baraka Photos A photography business producing fine art, journalistic and memoir photography from North Georgia and international locales, including consulting and training on social media and digital photography. Targeted at individual and institutional photography clients.
• Pajhwok Afghan News Website Platform A tri-lingual website with redesigned features, online subscription sales, and modernized business strategy for Afghanistan's first independent news agency. Targeted at Afghan readers and the international news ecosystem.

Quantifiable outcome

• Trained 350+ reporters on elections coverage and 250 on journalism fundamentals in Pakistan alone
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pajhwok Afghan NewscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2011NearMedia co-founded Pajhwok Afghan News and provided ongoing U.S. services including banking oversight, website management, payment services, and corporate representation from May 2011 to July 2015. The firm also secured $3.5 million in funding for upgrades to the news agency.
• United Press International (UPI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Lisa Schnellinger served as Senior Adviser to UPI Next media development division from January 2011 to July 2014. Designed strategy and implemented transition for media training division. Coordinated development of online platform. Designed projects totaling approximately $1.5 million in funding.
• IWPR (Institute for War and Peace Reporting)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLisa Schnellinger served as Country Director and Training Director for IWPR in Afghanistan from 2002-04. Conceived and designed Pajhwok startup, managed $2.7 million budget, and supervised nationwide journalism training programs.
• Internews EuropeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided elections law and coverage skills workshops for UNESCO-funded project in Iraq (Erbil, Baghdad, Basra) in 2012.
• IREXminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerServed as elections training specialist for IREX in Iraq, designing and conducting Training of Trainers on elections coverage for veteran Iraqi journalists in November 2009.
• ICFJ (International Center for Journalists)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerServed as training director for multi-year ICFJ project in Timor-Leste (2007), supervising national survey and coverage plan for elections. ICFJ published Free and Fair handbook.
• VeristacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNearMedia founders Schnellinger and Willard co-founded Verista in 2012 (renamed 2015), a 501(c)3 nonprofit with mission of truth from new perspectives in media and arts.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Internews: Internews is one of the largest international media development NGOs, providing exactly the journalism training, newsroom capacity building, and information-access programming that NearMedia delivers, often competing for the same USAID/State Department/DFID awards.
• DW Akademie: DW Akademie is Germany's primary international media development organization, funding and running journalism training in fragile states on donor funding — directly competing for the same restricted-source donor pool that NearMedia targets.
• IREX: IREX runs comparable elections-coverage and media-literacy training programs for journalists in transitioning democracies; NearMedia has itself delivered training-of-trainers assignments as an IREX specialist, evidencing direct functional overlap.
• BBC Media Action: BBC Media Action delivers media development and communications-for-development programming in conflict-affected and emerging-democracy contexts, frequently partnering with DFID/FCDO and UN agencies that also fund NearMedia's engagements.
• Free Press Unlimited: Free Press Unlimited supports independent journalism and media development worldwide, particularly in post-conflict and repressive environments — a near-identical mandate to NearMedia's international programming.
• ICFJ (International Center for Journalists): ICFJ operates large-scale journalist training and media development programs globally, including publishing the Free and Fair handbook; NearMedia's founder served as ICFJ training director on the Timor-Leste program, making ICFJ a directly comparable peer.

Broad incumbents

• Reporters Without Borders (RSF): RSF is a larger press-freedom organization that commissions training, advisory, and capacity-building projects through partner consultants, making it both a peer and a potential client/competitor for NearMedia-style assignments.
• The Carter Center: The Carter Center runs long-standing election observation and democracy-support programs, including media-monitor components that engage consultants with NearMedia's elections-coverage profile.
• FHI 360: FHI 360 is a large international development contractor that frequently primes USAID-governance and democracy awards that bundle media-support subcomponents — competing for the same prime awards and also hiring specialist subcontractors like NearMedia.

Emerging players

• Article 19: Article 19 works on freedom of expression and independent media in transitional contexts, often contracting specialized trainers and consultants that overlap with NearMedia's service profile.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/j_trainer
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nearmedia-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nearmedia