MO* magazine

What MO* magazine does

MO* magazine (legally Wereldmediahuis vzw) is a Belgian non-profit media organization founded in 2002 and headquartered in Brussels, publishing international journalism for the Dutch-speaking Flemish audience. It operates a no-paywall digital-first platform at mo.be delivering long-form reportage, news, analysis, interviews, podcasts (notably 'Uitgeklapt'), and short-form video covering global development, climate, migration, conflict, and human rights topics across Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. The newsroom of 11–50 employees includes regionally specialized beat journalists and a video journalist, supported by a Storyblok CMS and a quarterly print magazine distributed to paying members.

The organization is funded through a reader-supported membership model branded proMO*, offering monthly subscriptions at €4.60, annual at €60, and one-time annual at €65, with roughly 4,424 active members. Additional revenue streams include one-time donations, testamentary bequests, and Belgian federal government development-cooperation grants, alongside partnerships with the 11.11.11 coalition of Flemish NGOs and content syndication from IPS (Inter Press Service). MO* has published an AI Charter governing its use of artificial intelligence and deploys AI tools — Kompreno, DeepL, Goodtape, and Claude — strictly as workflow assistants for translation, transcription, and text correction, with full editorial oversight.

Name

MO* magazine

Legal name

Wereldmediahuis vzw

Website

https://mo.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MO* magazine is a Brussels-based non-profit Flemish media outlet publishing free international journalism in Dutch via website, podcast, video, and a quarterly print magazine, funded by ~4,424 proMO* members, donations, and Belgian government development-cooperation grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Digital Journalism

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines (MPAJAEAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Alternative/Independent Newsweeklies & Opinion Press (MPAJADAH)

Keywords

• Independent journalism
• International news media
• Nonprofit media outlet
• Global development reporting
• Multilingual journalism

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership subscriptions (proMO*): Monthly and annual membership subscriptions from supporters (proMO* members) who pay €4.60/month or €60/year to support independent journalism.
2. Donations and gifts: One-time donations from supporters who want to contribute to independent journalism.
3. Testamentary bequests: Supporters can include MO* in their testament as a form of legacy giving.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MO* magazine is a Flemish non-profit media outlet that publishes in-depth international journalism on global development, conflict, climate, migration, and human rights. It delivers editorial content across a free public website (mo.be), a quarterly print magazine, the 'Uitgeklapt' Dutch-language podcast, short-form video journalism, and email newsletters, all funded primarily through a reader-supported proMO* membership program and donations.

Product overview

MO* magazine is a Flemish (Belgian) non-profit media organization operating as a single integrated publishing platform with three core delivery channels: a free public website (mo.be) with articles, videos and podcasts; a quarterly print magazine; and a podcast series called 'Uitgeklapt'. The organization is funded by a reader-supported membership called proMO*, which also provides a monthly exclusive newsletter, event invitations, and a private journalist dialogue channel. All journalism is free to access online, with no paywall. The platform covers global development, climate, migration, conflict, and human rights topics across regions including Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Uitgeklapt: Podcast series covering international topics and current affairs
• MO*magazine

Products and services

• MO* Magazine (Print) A quarterly print magazine delivering in-depth journalism on global development, conflict, climate, migration, and human rights topics, mailed to subscribers; proMO* members receive four print editions per year plus extra editions.
• MO* Website (mo.be) A publicly accessible digital news platform offering free articles, reports, interviews, columns, analyses, opinions, and blog posts covering international current affairs across regions including Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. No paywall; funded by reader subscriptions and supporters.
• Uitgeklapt Podcast A Dutch-language podcast series featuring episodic reporting and interviews on international topics such as Uzbekistan, Beirut, Syria, Somaliland, and Spain's migration policy. Episodes are produced by MO* journalists and published regularly.
• proMO* Membership (Subscription) A reader-supported membership program offering monthly (€4.60), annual (€60), or one-year (€65) subscription options. Benefits include the print magazine, invitations to events, a private Facebook dialogue group with journalists, an exclusive monthly newsletter, and access to saved articles. Serves as the primary funding mechanism enabling MO* to maintain a no-paywall digital model.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• 11.11.11 (Strength in Numbers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian coalition for development cooperation of which MO* is part. 11.11.11 is a network of Flemish NGOs, trade unions, and social movements working on global justice.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Follow the Money: Follow the Money is a Dutch investigative journalism platform focused on financial, economic, and global justice reporting. Comparable to MO* in Dutch-language market, independent funding model, and mission-driven investigative journalism.
• De Correspondent: De Correspondent is a Dutch-language independent journalism platform funded by member subscriptions, covering global affairs, politics, and in-depth analysis. It is the closest analogue to MO* in language, mission, and reader-supported model.
• Apache: Apache is a Belgian independent investigative news outlet producing in-depth journalism on politics, economics, and social issues. Comparable to MO* in Belgian geography, independent/non-commercial positioning, and focus on underreported stories.
• Pointer (KRO-NCRV): Pointer is a Dutch investigative journalism program and platform covering consumer, social, and global issues. Comparable to MO* in Dutch-language market, focus on topics like development cooperation, migration, and consumer/international affairs.

Broad incumbents

• ProPublica: ProPublica is a US-based major non-profit investigative journalism outlet producing high-impact global and domestic investigations. Comparable to MO* as a benchmark non-profit, mission-driven model with reader/donor support, though operating at much larger scale.
• The Guardian: The Guardian is a major English-language independent news outlet with strong global journalism and reader-supported funding. Comparable to MO* in independent/non-traditional ownership, mission-driven approach, and breadth of international affairs coverage.

Regional players

• Knack: Knack is a Belgian weekly news magazine covering politics, economics, culture, and international affairs. Comparable to MO* in Belgian geography, magazine format, and news/affairs coverage, though commercially published with broader editorial scope.
• VRT NWS: VRT NWS is the Flemish public broadcaster's news division, covering regional and international news in Dutch. Comparable to MO* as a Flemish Dutch-language news outlet, though it is a publicly funded broadcaster with broader scope and larger scale.

Others

• European Journalism Centre: EJC is a non-profit organization supporting quality journalism in Europe, including cross-border reporting and training. Comparable to MO* as an adjacent ecosystem player in European independent journalism, though focused on support/infrastructure rather than publishing.
• Journalismfund.eu: Journalismfund.eu is a European non-profit providing grants and support for cross-border investigative journalism. Comparable to MO* as an adjacent ecosystem participant in European independent journalism, with thematic overlap in global affairs and development topics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/promo.mo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mo-magazine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 MO* magazine