Coimisiún na Meán has today (19.11.2025) announced a programme of new all-island and cross-border media projects and initiatives worth €14 million under a new Shared Island Media Fund. The funding was provided by the Department of the Taoiseach under the government’s Shared Island initiative and was allocated to Coimisiún na Meán by the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport. The government’s Shared Island initiative aims to harness the full potential of the Good Friday Agreement to enhance cooperation, connection and mutual understanding on the island.
Among the projects Coimisiún na Meán will deliver under the Shared Island Media Fund include developing a journalism funding initiative, ‘Shared Island Journalism Without Borders’, to provide for funding rounds that will encourage the creation of cross border reporting on an ongoing basis and provide supports for capacity and sustainability of such reporting into the future. Coimisiún na Meán will also deliver three new rounds of the successful Sound & Vision funding scheme, which is currently celebrating its twentieth year supporting television and radio programming in Ireland. The new Sound & Vision – ‘Shared Island Shared Stories’ – stand-alone rounds will fund programming that supports a shared future, promotes cultural exchange and celebrates the diverse heritage of the island. Productions will be encouraged to have a cross-border or cross-community element, encouraging collaboration between producers, creatives and broadcasters across the island. These new rounds will run over each of the next three years.
A new ‘Shared Island Stories & Experiences’ initiative will also be supported, facilitating the development of creative ideas and new talent on an all-island basis, similar to the successful Cine4 partnership which saw funding provided for the Oscar-nominated An Cailín Ciúin.
An Coimisiún will also explore potential opportunities to work with Northern Irish partners to support them in advancing and delivering valuable media literacy Initiatives and aim to include an agreed media literacy project over the lifetime of the scheme.
Coimisiún na Meán Media Development Commissioner Rónán Ó Domhnaill said: “We at Coimisiún na Meán are committed to developing a media landscape for Ireland that is sustainable, pluralistic and participative, and that shapes who we are as a society. I want to thank the Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Minister Patrick O’Donovan for providing the funding for this important new Shared Island Media Fund. Today, An Coimisiún are excited to announce our initial programme of activities under the new Fund, to enhance co-operation, collaboration and creativity across the island.
“Our ambition is that Ireland’s media landscape represents all of our cultures and traditions, and that the reporting we read in print and online, and that the programming we see on television and hear on radio, is reflective of our diverse heritage, rich history and mutual experience. Through support for cross-border journalism, all-island media literacy and collaborative new broadcast content, the Shared Island Media Fund will play a crucial role in supporting a shared future for all communities on the island.”
Minister Patrick O’Donovan TD said: “I warmly welcome today’s announcement of the Shared Island Media Fund, which represents a significant step in strengthening the ties that connect communities right across our island. This is a practical, forward-looking investment that will support sustained, high-quality reporting and story-telling on both sides of the border, not only in times of crisis. By supporting collaborative journalism and encouraging new creative talent, this fund will further deepen understanding and broaden perspectives. I look forward with confidence and optimism to the positive impact this investment will have on our all-island media landscape.”
Under the new Shared Island Media Fund, Coimisiún na Meán will also establish new Shared Island Media Fora, including a series of events aimed at deepening understanding of the all-island media landscape and developing cross-border networks and opportunities for collaboration between journalists across the island. These events will also help inform and shape funding initiatives for new journalism.
Building on An Coimisiún’s existing journalism supports, a new ‘Shared Island – Journalism Without Borders’ initiative will also be developed to encourage and support professional cross-border reporting, with a focus on young journalists and graduates. This initiative will support print, broadcast and digital journalism, with the scheme launching in 2026.