Facebook Journalism Project, ICFJ Launch Fund to Support Lebanon’s News Industry

By: 08/12/2020

The Facebook Journalism Project, in collaboration with the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), has announced that it will invest $300,000 in a new program that aims to support the stabilization and recovery needs of journalists and news organizations in Lebanon affected by the tragic explosion in Beirut on August 4. The program - “Supporting Beirut: Response and Recovery Fund”- will assist in supporting local news outlets that have suffered damage to infrastructure and resources.

ICFJ and Facebook will award $150,000 in emergency relief funds to Beirut-based news organizations and journalists directly impacted by the blast and in need of urgent financial support. 

Earlier this week, Facebook announced that it will donate more than $2.1 million to local hospitals, medical institutions and NGOs to support relief and recovery efforts, $1 million of which has been matched by Facebook's community as part of a fundraiser. 

“Our hearts go out to the people of Lebanon and everyone affected by this immeasurable tragedy. We’ve been getting regular updates from our contacts in Beirut; the damage to the city’s infrastructure, including its many newsrooms, is enormous. In spite of these devastating circumstances, the news industry is working hard, under extraordinary conditions, to keep people informed and updated,” said Mohamed Omar, News Partnerships Manager, Middle East and North Africa, at Facebook. “We applaud their efforts and are continuously working with our partners to both understand their needs and support them the best we can.”

ICFJ, a nonprofit organization focused on raising the quality of journalism worldwide, will mobilize its local networks to implement a two-phased response and recovery initiative to the Beirut crisis. 

The first phase of this program will involve identifying Lebanese news organizations and journalists in need of urgent financial support. Impacted journalists and news organizations will then be able to apply for immediate emergency relief grants. ICFJ will award grants to select Beirut-based news organizations and journalists that fulfill a set criteria.

Sharon Moshavi, ICFJ’s senior vice president for new initiatives, said: “People turn to local journalists for critical information on how to keep their friends, families and communities safe. As the impact of the devastating explosion continues to unfold in Beirut, ICFJ is prepared to work with the Facebook Journalism Project to provide tailored support to Lebanese journalists and news organizations that are providing critical information to a nation in crisis.”

The Facebook Journalism Project and ICFJ will offer additional, deeper support to select Beirut-based news organizations during phase 2, depending on the longer term impacts of the crisis.

Related Programs
Supporting Beirut: Response and Recovery Fund
News Category
Press Release
Country/Region
Middle East / North Africa

Latest News

Tips for Reporting on Gun Violence

During a recent ICFJ Global Crisis Reporting Forum webinar entitled “Gun Violence and How to Report on It,” Abené Clayton, a lead reporter for The Guardian U.S. series, Guns and Lies, which looks at community gun violence in California, provided tools and guidance on how journalists can improve their coverage. 

Disinformation Targeting U.S. Latino Communities is Widespread. Here's Why.

Did Spanish-language mis- and disinformation about the virus, which circulated largely unchecked, contribute to the high incidence of COVID-19 infection in Latino communities? Did social media play a role? Latino communities tend to use platforms like YouTube, Facebook and WhatsApp to inform themselves more than the average U.S. population, as they often don’t trust or feel represented by traditional media. 

The reality is, we know less about mis- and disinformation targeting Latino communities in the U.S. than we would like to, and there is almost no research on its impacts.    

ICFJ and The Self-Investigation launch "Resilience" Mental Health Program for Arabic-Speaking Journalists


To adopt healthier work practices that can sustain journalists' well-being, ICFJ is launching a new resilience program for Arabic-speaking journalists under the auspices of the ICFJ Pamela Howard Forum on Global Crisis Reporting. The initiative aims to shed light on the importance of mental health and well-being for workers in the media industry and provide crucial resources in Arabic for journalists. It kicks off October 10 to mark World Mental Health Day and will run through the end of November. You can register for the first session here.