About the M20 initiative
Putting media integrity and the information ecosystem at the heart of the G20 policy agenda.
The M20 story
With India and Brazil laying the groundwork, the M20 initiative was formalised in 2025 in South Africa. The M20 now stands as an independent global initiative bringing together media organisations, civil society and partners to advance information integrity, free expression, media freedom, a sustainable public interest media ecosystem and the role of journalism as a public good within the context of the G20.
The M20 hosted its inaugural summit in Johannesburg in 2025, culminating in the M20 Johannesburg Declaration, a definitive call to collaborative action in an era defined by the runaway expansion of Artificial Intelligence and shrinking capacity of global newsrooms, with adverse effects on the world’s information ecosystem.
As media systems face increasing pressure from disinformation, economic instability, technological disruption, and political interference, the M20 seeks to ensure that issues affecting journalism and information integrity are addressed within global governance discussions.
Who's involved
The M20 is governed through five connected structures that together drive its international and local work:
- The Steering Committee is the principal governance and oversight body, providing strategic direction and ensuring the operational and financial sustainability of the initiative.
- The Advisory Group, made up of international and local organisations, supports the Steering Committee by contributing expertise to advance the M20 agenda across successive G20 presidencies.
- The Funders Committee, drawn from organisations that resource the initiative, oversees annual budgeting and funding strategy.
- The M20 Secretariat provides day-to-day coordination, managing communications, events, meetings and content on behalf of the other structures.
- Finally, Local Host Country Committees lead M20 activities within each G20 presidency country, setting national priorities and convening local coalitions so that domestic perspectives feed into the global M20 agenda.
M20 Advisory Group
