International Media Support (IMS) has created Media Frontiers, a social purpose enterprise focusing on building the financial and operational sustainability of web-based media worldwide. Media Frontiers aims to contribute to a global context in which web-based media and civil society organisations can positively impact on reducing human insecurity and promoting development

For the past years, IMS has been working with web-based media in post-conflict and developing countries. As a result of this work, IMS increasingly noted that many of these media were not able to access the global services and opportunities that digital communications and the internet offered due to the lack of resources and know-how.

To address this, IMS has created Media Frontiers, a social purpose enterprise focusing on building the financial and operational sustainability of web-based media worldwide. Media Frontiers aims to achieve this through forging cooperation with expert partners with the goal of providing tailored online services to media.

PROTORE and virtualroad.org

Media Frontiers initially has two services. The first is PROTORE, a social purpose advertising network. PROTORE aggregates the advertising potential of websites so that they can collectively generate more income. PROTORE targets advertisers through promoting a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) message, as well as providing access to non-mainstream markets. To learn more about PROTORE, please go to: www.protore.net

The second service is virtualroad.org. This is an online secure hosting service for media and civil society organisations, which provides tailored solutions to mitigate cyber-attacks and offer rapid response support at affordable cost. The emphasis for virtualroad.org is to build the capacities of the local partners so they too are able to better secure themselves online and respond to emergencies. To learn more about virtualroad.org, please go to: www.virtualroad.org

The IMS Deputy Director, Thomas Hughes, will oversee the launch of Media Frontiers, stepping back from his position as Deputy Director. In establishing Media Frontiers, IMS has put in place the proper watersheds between the focus areas, financing and governance of the two organisations.

For further information about Media Frontiers please visit: www.media-frontiers.org