Legal Structuring Guides to set up a Media Organisation in Costa Rica, Mexico, and the United States

Journalists often struggle to choose the best legal structure for their media outlet or newsroom. This choice is fundamental for media sustainability, particularly in circumstances where they are setting up in a new jurisdiction, having been forced into exile by government repression and lawfare in their home country.

This is why TrustLaw, the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s global pro bono network, has partnered with SembraMedia to develop a series of guides offering critical guidance for Latin American newsrooms in this situation.

TrustLaw connected SembraMedia with law firms in three countries – Costa Rica, Mexico and the United States – to undertake legal research on key considerations for those looking to set up a new media project.

The guides outline different for-profit and non-profit structure options, as well as costs, benefits, and tax considerations for each.

Together, we want to help media owners understand the legal structures available to them and make informed and strategic decisions for their media project, considering their contexts, possibilities and risks.

We are thankful for the valuable contributions made by BLP in Costa Rica, SLLM (Sánchez-Labrador y López Martínez) in Mexico and a pro bono law firm in the United States.