China has spent an estimated US$6.6 billion since 2009 on strengthening its international media influence, and Russia spent at least US$1.5 billion last year on similar efforts, according to Nobel laureate Maria Ressa, and Nishant Lalwani, chief executive officer of the International Fund for Public Interest Media.
International efforts to support independent journalism have been paltry in comparison, they add. A forthcoming report by the Center for International Media Assistance shows that such funding amounted to US$385 million in 2019 — about 0.3 percent of overseas development assistance.
