About the TED toolkit

A Team Europe Democracy (TED) guide for strengthening support to independent journalism and information integrity

Introduction

The OECD Development Co-operation Principles on Relevant and Effective Support to Media and the Information Environment (March 2024) provide a shared foundation for donor action. They set out what effective, responsible, and sustainable support to media and the information environment should look like.

This Toolkit builds on that foundation. It translates the OECD Principles into practical guidance to support their application in policy and programming. It is designed for staff working across development, governance, digital policy, and external action, including those without specialised media expertise.

The Toolkit reflects a growing recognition that independent journalism and resilient information ecosystems are central to democratic governance, economic development, and societal stability. It supports donors in integrating these considerations more systematically into their work.

How to use the toolkit | OECD Principles Resource Centreoecd-media-support-principles.gfmd.info

What the Toolkit Provides

The Toolkit is a practical, modular resource that can be used across different roles, institutions, and contexts. It includes:

• Role-based guidance to support decision-making across different functions, from strategy and policy to programme implementation and communications

• Principle-based guidance explaining how each OECD Principle can be applied in practice

• Checklists and tools to support programme design, risk assessment, coordination, and evaluation

• Contextual guidance for working in fragile, authoritarian, or rapidly changing environments

• A separate “go deeper” section with case studies and examples illustrating how the Principles are applied in different contexts

The Toolkit is designed to be used flexibly. Users can engage with it based on their role, their immediate task, or the specific Principle they are working with.

Objectives

The Toolkit aims to:

• Support the practical application of the OECD Principles in day-to-day decision-making

• Strengthen the quality, consistency, and sustainability of support to independent media and information ecosystems

• Integrate media and information integrity considerations across sectors and policy areas

• Provide accessible guidance for non-specialist staff working in complex and evolving contexts

• Encourage more coordinated and coherent approaches among donors and partners

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An Evolving Resource

The Toolkit is intended to evolve over time. It will be updated to reflect user feedback, emerging evidence, and changes in policy and operational contexts.

Feedback from practitioners and institutions is essential to ensure that the Toolkit remains relevant, practical, and grounded in real-world experience.

For comments or suggestions, please contact: [e-mail]