On 8th February (local time), WikiLeaks uncovered a massive funding operation by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). As per a detailed thread on the social media platform X, WikiLeaks revealed that USAID funnelled around $472.6 million into the Internews Network, an international media non-governmental organisation (NGO).
USAID has pushed nearly half a billion dollars ($472.6m) through a secretive US government financed NGO, "Internews Network" (IN), which has “worked with” 4,291 media outlets, producing in one year 4,799 hours of broadcasts reaching up to 778 million people and "training” over…
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) February 8, 2025
Internews Network operates under the guise of journalistic development. WikiLeaks revealed that Internews Network has provided financial support to over 4,291 media outlets worldwide, producing extensive media content while engaging in social media censorship and information control strategies in the name of “fact-checking”.
Notably, the revelation came at a time when there have been growing concerns over USAID’s covert influence in global politics. Internews Network has operations in over 30 strategic locations, including Kyiv, Bangkok, Nairobi, and other places. Its footprint aligns with key geopolitical interests, raising serious concerns over its true purpose.
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) February 8, 2025
WikiLeaks put a former USAID official, Jeanne Bourgault, at the centre of the exposé. Bourgault leads Internews while drawing a salary of $451,000. Notably, the sum she pays herself is far higher than the standard for an NGO executive. Interestingly, her biography and those of other senior Internews figures mysteriously disappeared from the organisation’s website, deepening suspicions about the activities the organisation is involved in. The profiles, however, are still accessible via archive.org.
Internews’ dubious links and financial inconsistencies
Further investigation into Internews Network revealed suspicious financial dealings. According to WikiLeaks, there is a funding address in Arcata, California, which looks like an abandoned building—a classic sign of financial misdirection, pointing towards a possible shell company. Since 2016, the NGO’s funding has doubled, coinciding with international debates about foreign influence on global media narratives.
USAID (and State) funneled nearly half a billion dollars through this building which is at "876 7th St Arcata, CA 95521-6358". The IRS and IN government contracts list this address as the current registered address for IN although it was clearly abandoned by December 2024. Shot… pic.twitter.com/ELzv3G4p5l
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) February 8, 2025
Another notable point that WikiLeaks raised was that Bourgault was recently seen at the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2024, where she advocated for the creation of “exclusion lists”—a method aimed at pressuring advertisers to direct funds towards “approved” news sources. The idea was to suppress independent voices in the media, effectively sidelining them by cutting off potential funding. This revelation aligns with broader concerns about growing censorship under the guise of combating misinformation.
The Indian connection – Factshala and Internews’ role to influence narratives
Interestingly, Internews Network has an India link, exposing a far-reaching attempt to influence narratives in prominent media houses operating in the country. The connection that has emerged is with a so-called media literacy programme called “Factshala“.
Factshala claims to be an educational platform for media personnel. It operates under DataLEADS, which is founded by Syed Nazakat and claims to have trained over 75,000 media professionals, reaching an audience of over 6.5 crore. Factshala is backed by Google News Initiative against “misinformation”. However, its crucial link to Internews reveals that there is USAID-backed funding involved. With this revelation, it becomes more evident that USAID was indirectly shaping Indian media education, much like its influence in other politically sensitive regions worldwide.
Factshala has an ambassador programme which has controversial media personalities like Shekhar Gupta of The Print, Ritu Kapur of The Quint and Faye D’Souza of Beatroot News. According to the website, “FactShala Ambassador Programme, is run by DataLEADS in collaboration with The Poynter Institute for Media Studies and its digital media literacy program MediaWise with support from Google News Initiative. It is an initiative to enhance the voice of media literacy in India by empowering people of all age groups to become more critical consumers of content online. In an era of abundant misinformation the Ambassadors will provide invaluable resources and offer knowledge and insights to sort fact from fiction online and slow the spread of misinformation – an opportunity to drive positive change within the community.”
The history of Internews traces back to funding from the Ford Foundation, George Soros, and Omidyar—organisations known for their involvement in politically charged media projects. In fact, George Soros openly announced that he would pump $1 billion to remove Prime Minister Narendra Modi from his post in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. Fortunately, he failed.
However, the connection between Internews Network and Factshala raises serious concerns about how media literacy is being used as a tool for ideological influence, instead of educating media personnel to maintain an unbiased approach.
Factshala’s ideological tilt
It is essential to note that those behind Factshala have a clear ideological tilt. Their training programmes cannot be as neutral as the organisation may claim. They partner with groups like the Sambhaavnaa Institute of Public Policy and Politics, a think tank founded and run by Prashant Bhushan under Kumud Bhushan Education Society using his mother’s name. Bhushan is known for his left-leaning bias. Sambhaavnaa conducts workshops at its centre in Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, where training is provided by individuals with definitive political affiliations. These often extend to radicalised thinking, with Naxalite sympathisers like Harsh Mander, Sori Sori and Kavita Krishnan conducting the workshops.
In fact, the most recent Factshala class at Sambhaavnaa took place on 1st February, 2025.
Furthermore, there is a notable link between Alt News and Sambhaavnaa. Alt News, founded by Pratik Sinha and Mohammed Zubair, is a self-proclaimed fact-checking organisation. However, Alt News is known for selective bias, which further muddies the waters for Sambhaavnaa. AltEd, incubated by Alt News, have conducted multiple sessions at Sambhaavnaa.
While Factshala presents itself as an effort to combat misinformation, it appears that the initiative is part of a larger media influence operation in India. It aligns closely with Western-funded narratives rather than supporting independent, grassroots journalism.
A broader strategy to control narratives
India is emerging as a major global player and is on the path to becoming a strong voice capable of influencing narratives in the developed world. At such a time, foreign influence in media education poses a serious threat to national sovereignty.
Factshala presents itself as a neutral organisation, but its ties to foreign-funded entities with a history of narrative control raise urgent questions about the real motives behind such initiatives. This warrants immediate investigation.
