Tracking the sustainability of media systems is difficult because the issue crosses political, economic, and social factors. In countries that lack a robust market economy, advertising-supported news media is difficult to establish or sustain. In some countries, money-losing media houses are supported or “captured” by businessmen with other commercial interests, or politicians with an agenda other than providing independent news and information. The Media Sustainability Index has created a methodology to measure sustainability and to compare results across countries and over time.

New digital and mobile technologies are disrupting the traditional media business model, so the issue of media sustainability naturally intersects with another of CIMA’s core areas of inquiry: innovation.

Over the years, CIMA has tackled the issue of sustainability in a variety of ways, with subject matter ranging from the role of audience measurement to business coverage as a means to avoid government censorship or control of media.

CIMA has published several reports and held discussions that address media sustainability: Calling the Shots: How Ownership Structures Affect the Independence of News Media; Breathing Life into Freedom of Information Laws: The Challenges of Implementation in the Democratizing World; Measuring the Audience: Why It Matters to Independent News Media and How It Can Contribute to Media Development, Business Journalism Thrives— Even Under Repressive Regimes, Advancing Independent Journalism While Building a Modern News Business: The Case of Malaysiakini.