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Economic Sustainability Models for Alternative and Community Media (ACMs): The Venezuelan Case

Abstract:

This research suggests three economic sustainability models for Alternative and Community Media (ACMs), based on endogenous, community and exogenous funding, and their joint or mixed combinations, which is what usually is found in practice. This first study deals with the Venezuelan case; however, the researchers expect to test the applicability or functionality of such models in other countries within the region. The methodology is qualitative-quantitative, as it combines data collection from 280 surveys and 25 in-depth telephone and in-person interviews with different ACMs throughout the Venezuelan territory. The research was developed in three stages: 1. identification of funding strategies, 2. classification of economic sustainability models and, 3. assessment of the economic sustainability models employed by Venezuela ACMs. Our results show that as endogenous funding and diversification of sources increase, so does the economic sustainability of the community media; whereas as the exogenous funding and diversification of sources decrease, the potential risks for the economic sustainability of the community media increase.