We created the Project Oasis Media Directory to share our research and bring increased visibility to these mission-driven, editorially independent media organizations. Before being added to the directory each media organization is reviewed by a researcher with knowledge of the local context to ensure they meet our criteria.
Our criteria for inclusion included below was developed by an international team with the goal of identifying independent digital native media that operate with editorial independence and transparency, and produce original content that serves a public interest.
Our goal is not to create the largest directory in the world, but to create a carefully curated collection of independent digital media to bring attention to this emerging part of the news and information ecosystem.
We do not charge media for their inclusion in our directories, and being included does not imply that they have participated in our programs, or received funds from SembraMedia or our partners. It simply means that these media meet our criteria for journalistic independence and transparency.
While the majority of our selection criteria are aligned across all regions, there are some variations regarding language and gender identity, based on regional regulations, practices, and cultural norms.
Although we seek to ensure that all media included in the directory meet all of our criteria, we do make exceptions when adhering to these criteria could cause legal, physical or other threats to the founders, leaders, editors, journalists or others in these organizations.
Some of the profiles in this directory were created using publicly available information through desk research. You will find a note in those specific profiles. However, in all cases, a SembraMedia ambassador, research manager or partner carefully reviewed them to ensure they met our criteria.
The Project Oasis Media Directory is a living database, designed to try and keep up with the ever-changing media market. As we find new digital media organizations, we add them, and if media in the directory cease to produce news and information for more than 6 months, they are removed. We are working with a growing list of partners to expand and research and we plan to continue to update and develop the directory over the coming years.
Our goal is to identify new kinds of media that serve the public interest without excluding startups that are so new or so innovative that they do not always look like news organizations, and as a result, can’t meet the traditional criteria other organizations use in these types of assessments. We prioritize editorially independent, digital native news organizations that serve the public interest through news, investigative journalism, and fact-based reporting, but we include a wide variety of sources and types of information.
We welcome feedback as this project evolves, and expect to continue to refine these criteria in the future as we continue revising and expanding this directory.
Being listed in the directory is free of charge for media outlets and does not imply participation in any initiatives or the receipt of funding from SembraMedia; it only requires meeting the criteria outlined below.
Digital: Organizations should be digital native and/or dominant, meaning they were started online and publish all (or at least most) of their content in a digital format. Additionally, they must have published content within the last six months.
We include some organizations that publish print products as part of their content offering (for example, books, quarterly magazines, special or one-off edition bulletins or newspapers), as long as they still publish most of their content online and meet all of our other criteria.
Original content: The majority of the content should be original and published by the media organization, in any or all languages relevant to the audience(s) the organization serves.
Publications that aggregate, translate, or curate all or most of their content from third-party sources or information services are not included.
Content that serves the public interest: Published content should serve the public interest. Organizations may cover a wide range of topics, including news, sports, culture, health, opinion, business, and other areas of interest to their audiences. Content may be shared in any digital format or genre.
Public interest content informs the public about issues that shape their lives, without promoting or serving political, commercial, or factional interests. It is often recognized for encouraging public debate and dialogue across society and for holding those in power accountable. Public interest content also tends to be inclusive and diverse—it challenges discriminatory societal norms, stereotypes, and taboos.
Editorial independence: No third party should fund, appoint, or control the outlet’s editorial agenda, either directly or indirectly.
Media organizations owned by corporations, government entities, or religious institutions that control editorial direction are not included.
Non-partisan: Media organizations in the directory must be editorially independent, regardless of ideological position. Digital outlets that are entirely dependent on funding from the state or a political party are not included.
Transparency: To be included in the directory, we must be able to identify the founders, owners, and directors and include their names in the media outlet’s profile.
Please note: If a media outlet does not have an “About” page on its website listing this information, it is still eligible for inclusion, as long as the founders, owners, and directors are willing to share their names with the researcher during the interview.
Business structure: We accept organizations with all types of legal structures, including for-profits, nonprofits, and hybrid models (combining nonprofit and for-profit entities).
In some cases, we accept organizations that are not formally registered or incorporated, as long as they meet all other criteria.
Blogs and newsletters: We only include blogs or newsletters that produce content of journalistic value and serve the public interest. They must be published on a regular basis and meet all other criteria.
Social media natives: Media organizations that publish exclusively on social media platforms—such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter—may be included if they share news and other original content that serves the public interest and meet all other criteria.
Projects or publications founded by universities or civil society organizations: Digital media initiatives produced by public or private universities or civil society organizations may be included if they meet all other criteria, operate with editorial independence from the parent organization, and publish content that serves audiences beyond the university or parent institution.
Although we do not necessarily exclude media outlets that do not follow all these recommendations, we encourage media leaders to develop the kinds of policies described here because they help build transparency and trust with their audiences and other supporters.
Search more than 3,000 media profiles from 68 countries with details on coverage areas, revenue sources, and other characteristics.
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