ICFJ+, a collaboration between Code for Africa, the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), and PROTO, has launched the Plus Hub—a new initiative providing independent news providers with shared infrastructure and expert support. The Plus Hub is designed to bridge resource gaps that training and funding alone can’t fill, helping newsrooms build sustainable systems for digital publishing, security, audience development, and business operations.

The Hub works with five key cohorts: investigative journalists, news creators, exiled media, grassroots media, and women-focused organisations. Each group receives tailored support, from enterprise-grade security and digital forensics for investigative teams, to secure communications and audience strategies for exiled media, and AI development and operational security for women-focused groups tackling gender-based violence.

Services include market research, workflow automation, legal and HR support, digital security hotlines, and fact-checking tools. The Plus Hub’s four-stage process—resources, activation, implementation, and ongoing support—ensures news providers not only access expert advice but also build and maintain working systems.

Seed-funded by the Knight Foundation and supported by the Google News Initiative, the Plus Hub builds on decades of experience from its founding partners and replaces the ICFJ Knight Fellowships with a new, hands-on model for newsroom resilience.

Email communications@icfj.org for more information.

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Written by

Jacob Granger
Jacob Granger
Jacob Granger is the community editor of JournalismUK

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