Sameer Padania is a global expert and advisor on policy, practice and funding for independent journalism and information ecosystems.

Sameer’s policy and advocacy work helps stakeholders navigate and address complex cross-sectoral challenges affecting journalism and information. [He is the lead author of Demos’ paper on how to protect and future-proof the BBC.] He served as Lead Rapporteur for the Forum on Information and Democracy’s global report “A New Deal for Journalism“, and as a nonresident fellow with GMF Cities has co-developed a strategic framework for city administrations to improve their local information ecosystems and reduce information inequality. In the UK, he led the Public Interest News Foundation’s Media Wealth Building initiative, which helped six UK communities develop ‘Local News Plans’, and, in Newry, the UK’s first participatory Local News Fund. Sameer also led The Bristol Cable’s pioneering work to develop a local House of Journalism, helped build and run Nesta’s Future News Pilot Fund, and co-founded the Charitable Journalism Project.

A former journalism and media policy grantmaker at Open Society Foundations, Sameer has worked as a strategic advisor and assessor for a wide range of funders and philanthropy bodies both in the UK and internationally, and is the author of widely-used guides on journalism funds, media festivals, grantmaking and investigative journalism. He serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Brazilian foundation Instituto Serrapilheira, and on the board of Reset.

Earlier in his career, he worked in online human rights video with WITNESS, media development with the Panos Institute, and in TV documentary research. He is an RSA Fellow, and trustee of the Orwell Foundation.