The vision of the GRI is that economic, environmental and social performance reporting is as commonplace and comparable as financial reporting, and becomes as important to organisational success. While the GRI has a common set of guidelines for all industries, it also produces sector-specific reporting frameworks.

The initiative is meant to be a tool to ensure that sustainability reports by media companies effectively cover the key issues for the sector and the standardised framework will also allow companies to benchmark their performance. While the media industry has some issues that are common to all sectors, it also has unique characteristics, in particular its key role in informing and influencing citizens, known as its 'brainprint.'

The media organisations taking part in the GRI media sector supplement include the BBC, Reed Elsevier, Bertelsmann (Germany), Vivendi (France), Gestevision Telecinco (Spain), Australian Broadcasting Association and Grupo Clarin (Argentina).

The NGO's, which will be working on the media supplement, include Transparency International, the International Center for Journalists, the Media Development Loan Fund and the Federation of African Media Women in Southern Africa.