Media and Journalism Research Center

Name

Media and Journalism Research Center

Legal name

Media and Journalism Research Center

Website

https://journalismresearch.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Media Research and Policy Analysis

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations (MPAJADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Media Partnerships & Content Co-productions (NGO/Cultural) (MPABADAN), Academic & Scholarly Journals Publishing (Peer-Reviewed) (MPAJABAC)

Keywords

• Media systems research
• Journalism research
• Media policy analysis
• Disinformation studies
• Media sustainability research

Headquarters

HQ city

Tallinn

HQ country

Estonia

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Philanthropic Contributions: Primary funding sources consisting of research grants from foundations and philanthropic contributions from individuals and organizations. MJRC explicitly does not accept government funding to maintain independence.
2. Courses and Training: Bespoke courses offered to NGOs, foundations, companies, universities, and think tanks. Fees vary based on number of attendants, location, and specific requirements. Revenue is exclusively used for center activities.
3. Consultancy Services: Analysis and consultancy services offered to non-profit sector clients including comprehensive evaluation packages for NGOs, media outlets, think tanks, academic institutions, and foundations.
4. Funding Program Management: MJRC distributes funds from philanthropic organizations to independent media organizations through sub-granting programs, utilizing its extensive knowledge of media sectors in countries with high capture levels.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Media and Journalism Research Center is an independent think tank that conducts comparative research on global media systems, ownership, and influence, and delivers bespoke training, consultancy, and sub-granting services. Its core products include the Media Influence Matrix, State Media Monitor, Global Media Finances Map, and the Media Capture Monitoring Report, supplemented by AI-focused research, courses for NGOs and foundations, and grant programs supporting independent media.

Product overview

The Media and Journalism Research Center (MJRC) is an independent think tank offering a portfolio of research products and services focused on media systems, journalism, and technology. The core offerings include the Media Influence Matrix (covering 50+ countries), State Media Monitor, Global Media Finances Map, Media Capture Monitoring Report, and AI-focused programs like the Artificial Intelligence Market Program and AI Information Map Project. These are complemented by content offerings (MJRC Podcast, Audio Briefs, Journalism Trends Blog), membership platform (Media and Journalism Exchange), consultancy services, grant programs for independent media, fellowship opportunities, and educational courses. The center also conducts narrative mapping research and hosts projects like DISINFTRUST that combine AI technology with behavioral science.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Media Influence Matrix Comparative research project examining how government policy, funding sources, and technology companies influence journalism across 50+ countries. Designed for policymakers, foundations, and researchers seeking cross-country evidence on media systems.
• State Media Monitor Project tracking state media ownership, financing, and influence across regions including the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia, to monitor media capture and independence. Built for foundations, regulators, and researchers.
• Global Media Finances Map Research initiative mapping media ownership and financial structures across multiple countries to make media financing transparent. Built for foundations, regulators, and researchers.
• Media Capture Monitoring Report Country-level reports on media capture produced in partnership with the International Press Institute (IPI) in Vienna, covering European countries' preparedness for the European Media Freedom Act. Designed for policymakers, foundations, and press freedom advocates.
• AI Information Map Project Project monitoring AI systems and tracking which sources AI assistants select when answering questions, with country-level databases starting in Romania. Built for regulators, newsroom leaders, and researchers concerned about information pluralism.
• DISINFTRUST Pilot 18-month research pilot developing multilingual AI models and a browser extension prototype for narrative-based disinformation detection and trust analytics across nine countries. Targeted at media verification organizations and platform designers.
• Media and Journalism Exchange Membership community platform for journalists, researchers, contributors, and others interested in media and journalism topics, facilitating knowledge sharing, collaborative research, and ethical participation.
• MJRC Consultancy Consultancy service providing organizational evaluations, strategic assessments, and comprehensive evaluation packages for NGOs, media outlets, think tanks, academic institutions, and foundations.
• MJRC Funding Program Financial support program for independent media outlets in captured media environments, focusing on financial sustainability, organizational sustainability, and audience growth.
• Courses and Workshops Bespoke training courses covering working with media outlets, identifying and fighting disinformation, advocacy strategy and impact measurement, and running media company evaluations. Delivered to NGOs, foundations, companies, universities, and think tanks.
• Mapping the Finances and Ownership of AI Companies Used by Journalists Study analyzing the financial performance and ownership structures of 100 AI companies whose tools are used by media and journalists, examining 17 variables including ownership, financial data, and intended use cases. Designed for newsrooms, regulators, and researchers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Grant Value Index tested across 15 media development projects
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Philanthropy Europe Association (Philea)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Brussels-based collaboration for producing the Journalism Funders Forum newsletter, providing latest insights in journalism funding across Europe published every two months.
• Autonomous University of Puebla (Mexico)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023Cooperation agreement with the Research Group 'Political Communication and Citizenship in the Democratic Transition' at one of Mexico's top communication research institutions.
• International Press Institute (IPI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with IPI in Vienna for the Media Capture Monitoring Report, a comprehensive research initiative examining European preparedness for the European Media Freedom Act. Provides independent research on media capture across multiple European countries.
• OBSERVACOMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with OBSERVACOM, the Research Center on Cultural Industries, Communication Policies, and Public Space, for Media Influence Matrix country reports and Argentina media studies.
• National University of Quilmes (Argentina)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for conducting and publishing research on Argentina's media landscape, technology, journalism, and public sphere within the Media Influence Matrix project.
• University of Santiago de Compostela (USC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration for joint publication of media research including Argentina studies and funding journalism analysis.
• NewtralcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanish media verification organization and DISINFTRUST project partner implementing narrative-based disinformation detection tools and browser extension prototype.
• Blanquerna School of CommunicationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in DISINFTRUST pilot contributing behavioral science research and media literacy expertise for the 18-month interdisciplinary project.
• Cardiff UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partner in DISINFTRUST project providing interdisciplinary expertise for narrative mapping and user behavior analysis across nine countries.
• Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMJRC is a member of C2PA, contributing to standards development for content authenticity and provenance verification in digital media.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy: Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center conducts research on media, politics, and policy with a strong applied orientation, comparable to MJRC's mix of policy studies, funding-journalism analysis, and training programs.
• Tow Center for Digital Journalism: Columbia University's Tow Center produces empirical research on the digital transformation of journalism, including platform governance and AI in newsrooms — overlapping directly with MJRC's Artificial Intelligence Market Program and narrative-mapping work.
• European Journalism Centre (EJC): The EJC funds and convenes journalism innovation projects across Europe, including programs on AI and disinformation — a comparable European intermediary between foundations and independent media, similar to MJRC's sub-granting and training role.
• Poynter Institute: Poynter delivers journalism training, fact-checking resources, and media-ethics research — comparable to MJRC's bespoke courses on disinformation and advocacy and its fact-check-aligned DISINFTRUST project.
• Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: Based at the University of Oxford, RISJ produces global research on journalism, digital news consumption, and media policy — directly comparable to MJRC's Media Influence Matrix, AI studies, and policy work on a similar funder-and-policy audience.
• Reporters Without Borders (RSF): RSF operates globally on press freedom, media capture, and independent-journalism support across the same set of countries that MJRC covers, serving overlapping NGO and policymaker audiences.
• Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ): CPJ documents press-freedom violations and advocates for journalist safety worldwide — comparable nonprofit mission and geographic scope to MJRC, though focused on safety rather than market structure.
• Nieman Foundation for Journalism: Harvard's Nieman Foundation supports journalism through fellowships, research, and reporting on press freedom and media ecosystems — directly paralleling MJRC's Young Researchers Program, Fellowships, and policy research on media freedom and capture.
• Center for Media, Data and Society (CMDS): CMDS at Central European University was the direct institutional predecessor to MJRC, led by Marius Dragomir from 2016 to 2022 and the originator of the Media Influence Matrix — making it the closest historical peer in mission, methodology, and leadership.

Broad incumbents

• Open Society Foundations – Program on Independent Journalism: OSF's Program on Independent Journalism is a major global funder and operator of media-research and advocacy work, including prior leadership by Marius Dragomir; a broader incumbent with overlapping agenda and substantially larger capital base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MedJournResCen
• YouTubeopen.spotify.com/show/5cLsFBgD4alUGgUCxK6p9U
• Facebookfacebook.com/MediaJournalismResearchCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/media-and-journalism-research-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/media_journalism_research

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Media and Journalism Research Center