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For 40+ years, in more than 100 countries, Internews has supported local independent media, trained journalists, helped outlets build the business models to sustain themselves, and backed the local advocates advancing the legal defense of free expression.

About Us

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Our History

Internews was founded in 1982. Our early work used satellite television to connect audiences across the Cold War divide, through two-way "Spacebridge" broadcasts between Soviet and American citizens. As the Soviet Union dissolved, Internews shifted from producing television to supporting independent media where it was emerging.

After the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2010 Haiti earthquake, our humanitarian programming helped establish information as a form of aid in its own right. That work taught us that strengthening media output was not enough on its own: in communities with little reliable information, what mattered was what people could actually get and use. In 2014 we formalized that into the Information Ecosystem Assessment, a research method for mapping where a community gets its information, who it trusts, and what stands in the way. It is now used widely across the field.

Along the way, we built some of the field's durable infrastructure: the Earth Journalism Network, launched in 2004, now connects more than 40,000 environmental journalists worldwide. In 2013, the Listening Post Collective brought the same community-listening approach to newsrooms and organizations across the United States. For much of this period, our work was carried out as a longtime implementing partner of USAID.

Today that work looks different than it did in 1982. Trustworthy information reaches people through food banks and libraries, WhatsApp groups, community newsletters, and rural radio stations broadcasting from unconventional spaces. Internews works with local partners, journalists, and community organizations around the world to help those sources reach the people who depend on them.

Our Values

Listen first

We start by asking a community where it already gets information, who it trusts, and what stands in the way. Everything else follows from the answer.

Look local

Community-led news and information, with authentic connections and known trust, is growing in importance and opportunity. We invest there first, because that is where the trust already is.

Back who's already there

The most trusted source in a community already exists. We’re open to being surprised. We’ve worked with everyone from food banks, to radio stations, to group chats. Our job is to make sure the trustworthy ones can sustain their work, not to replace it with something new.

Build for independence

We invest in early-stage projects so they can sustain themselves beyond our support. Revenue models, peer networks, long-term partnerships: the goal is resilience, so the work can sustain itself.

Leadership

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Jeanne Bourgault

President and CEO

Jeanne Bourgault is the President and CEO of Internews, an international non-profit dedicated to cultivating local, independent news and information initiatives that build the civic health and resilience of communities across the US and globally. 

Historically, Internews supported independent local news media in more than 120 countries around the world, with significant programs in countries such as Afghanistan, Myanmar, South Sudan, and Ukraine.

Over a decade ago, Bourgault expanded the organization’s work to the United States, with a focus on supporting community-led civic media projects. 

Prior to joining Internews in 2001, Bourgault worked internationally in countries undergoing dramatic shifts in media and political landscapes. Early in her career, she spent six years with the U.S. Agency for International Development, including three years at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow in the early 1990s.

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María Fernández-García

Vice President, Programs

María Fernández-García is Vice President for Programs at Internews, overseeing the organization’s global portfolio of programs that strengthen independent media, information ecosystems, and community resilience around the world. She leads teams dedicated to advancing high-quality, locally relevant news and information, and oversees initiatives that support independent journalism, strengthen media ecosystems, and improve coverage of critical issues, including programs such as The Listening Post Collective and the Earth Journalism Network.

Since joining Internews in Washington, D.C. in 2017, Maria has held several leadership roles across regional and thematic portfolios, including across the Americas and globally on media viability, internet freedom, and technology. She is a strong advocate for locally produced, trustworthy information and believes that vibrant media ecosystems are essential to resilient, informed communities, particularly in underserved regions.

Prior to Internews, Maria served as Program Director and Advisor on Strategy and Innovation at the International Republican Institute, where she led programs focused on digital democracy and human rights. Earlier in her career, she worked at the Office of the Political Counselor for Latin America at the Embassy of Spain in Washington, D.C. She also spent several years in China, where she specialized in international media and digital transformation. Maria holds a law degree from the University of Oviedo and a Master of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University.

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Robyn Mordeno

Chief Financial Officer

Robyn Mordeno is Internews Chief Financial Officer. She brings over 25 years of extensive industry experience and proven success in overseeing global financial operations for multi-million-dollar non-profit organizations. She has had a long career dedicated to managing financial and accounting operations in the international development arena including a broad and diverse experience managing multicultural teams in domestic and international settings. Robyn is responsible for financial planning and analysis, internal and external financial reporting, treasury, accounting, investments, grant & contract policy and compliance and financial operations.

Prior to joining Internews, Robyn served as the Chief Financial Officer for Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR) and Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA). Her background also includes senior-level financial roles at Mercy Corps, Medical Teams, and Academy for Educational Development (AED) now FHI360.

Robyn holds a Masters of Science Administration degree with emphasis in International Development from Andrews University and a B.A degree in both Accounting and Management from Southern Adventist University. Robyn lives in John Day, Oregon, with her husband and two sons. Her interests include gardening, hiking, camping, and traveling the world.

Board of Directors

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    Arran Bardige

    SVP, Research and Analytics, Versant Media

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    Kaizar Campwala

    Co-Founder, Slow Talk

  • A professional man with dark hair, wearing a dark suit, white shirt, and patterned tie, looking directly at the camera.

    Matt Chanoff

    Co-founder Flashpoint

  • A man with light skin, short light brown hair, and blue eyes looking at the camera, wearing a pink checkered shirt against a plain neutral background.

    Kevin J. Delaney

    Co-Founder, Charter and Editor-in-Chief, The San Francisco Standard

  • A smiling, bald man in a suit and tie sitting indoors with flowers and other people in the background.

    David Hoffman

    President Emeritus/Founder Internews

  • A professional portrait of an older man with a beard, wearing a dark suit, white shirt, and striped tie, smiling at the camera.

    Richard J. Kessler

    Former Staff Director, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Gov. Affairs

  • A man with a shaved head, dark dress shirt, and blazer smiling outdoors with a cityscape and hills in the background.

    Bill Lowery

    Former General Counsel, Corporate Secretary, and Senior Executive Advisor, KQED Inc.

  • A woman with long brown hair, wearing a black blazer and gray shirt, standing with arms crossed against a red brick wall.

    Rachael Leman

    Consultant and Co-Founder, Leman Kennedy

  • Black and white portrait of a woman with long braided hair, wearing a white top with a black collar, looking at the camera with a serious expression.

    Monique Maddy

    Founder and CEO, EZUZA

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    John Montgomery

    Specialist in Digital Safety

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    Ben Rader

    General Counsel and Corporate Secretary Pension Boards-United Church of Christ, Inc

  • A woman with dark hair and a bright smile wearing a blue blazer, sitting with her arms crossed against a white background.

    Sonal Shah

    CEO, Texas Tribune

  • A woman with shoulder-length dark hair smiling, wearing a dark sweater and a black strap over her shoulder.

    Anna Soellner

    Former Head of Communications, Reddit

  • A woman with long dark hair smiling and crossing her arms, standing against a wooden fence.

    Sue Suh

    Former Chief People Officer and Chief Impact Officer, TIME

Global Leadership Council

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    Anne Avis

    Head of Corporate Communications, NVIDIA

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    Kathy Calvin

    Board Member, UN Foundation

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    Jim Cashel

    Chairman, Forum One

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    Sach Chandaria

    Trustee, Chandaria Foundation

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    Simone Otus Coxe

    Board Chairman, CALmatters

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    Marcy Elkind

    Founder, Elkind Economics, Inc

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    Cristiana Falcone

    CBF Strategy LLC

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    Anthony Garrett

    Board Member, Impact Justice

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    Gary Knell

    Senior Advisor, Boston Consulting Group, Former Chairman, National Geographic Partners

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    Pat Mitchell

    Editorial Director, TEDWomen

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    Melissa Ong

    Director of Mojo Pte Ltd. and VP of Business Development and Director of Activities of COMO Hotels and Resorts

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    Carlos Pascual

    Senior Vice President, Global Energy and International Affairs, IHS Markit

  • A middle-aged man with glasses, a gray beard, and short hair, wearing a pink and white striped shirt, standing outdoors in front of green foliage.

    Ahmed Rashid

    Journalist and Author

  • A smiling woman with short, curly red hair wearing a black top and a beaded necklace, indoors with a yellow curtain in the background.

    Shelley Rubin

    Co-Founder, The Rubin Museum of Art

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    Mark Stephens CBE

    Senior Member, Howard Kennedy LLP

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    Irving Washington

    Executive Director/CEO Online News Association

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    Dennis Whittle

    Co-Founder, Normal>Next, Feedback Labs, and Global Giving