A day to reflect on the importance of a free and independent press

These are hard times for journalists : marginalized by the explosion of social networks, equated with elites reviled by populists, sometimes liquidated as inconvenient witnesses - at least 42 (the sources vary) were killed in 2024 - and imitated by bots, they struggle more and more to have their essential role in our societies recognized.

It is in part to bring this role back to the center of public debate and reflect on its importance that the Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) and a group of journalists, led by Maria Ressa, Filipino-American journalist, co-Nobel Peace Prize winner and director of investigative media Rappler and the former editor-in-chief of the South African investigative newspaper Daily Maverick, Branko Brkic, launched World News Day (World News Day), on September 28. 

They share their thoughts, from which we offer the most striking extracts here.

This is "a global initiative to draw attention to the role journalists play in disseminating reliable information in the service of citizens and democracy", explains CJF President Kathy English, in an article written for the occasion. "Facts are complex and the truth is not always obvious. Journalism is not infallible. In a polarized world, too many people can't even agree on what a fact is and claim that the truth is dead", she notes. "This makes it all the more important for responsible journalists and citizens to understand what evidence-based, trustworthy information is. It's not just about disseminating and consuming information, but empowering people with the facts they need to navigate their world."

"This message couldn't be more crucial or timely. In a world where we increasingly see fiction becoming reality and misinformation becoming widespread, the choice of truth has perhaps never been more important - or more difficult," writes Kathy English again. "For citizens, this means distinguishing between real information, rumors and untruths disguised as facts, a challenge made even more difficult in the age of digital content generated by the IA and malicious agents seeking to sow discord in public opinion by spreading misleading information. For journalists, this means redoubling our efforts to respect our fundamental principle, which is to serve citizens by bringing them the truth, based on verified facts. [...]As the 2024 Digital News Report from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University, 'all over the world, most citizens don't trust most news, most of the time'."

In his contribution, Marcelo Rech, president of the Brazilian Newspaper Association, believes for his part that  "the press is not the solution to all the dilemmas of our time, but try to imagine a world without it". Before continuing  "Who would know the difference between facts and rumors ? How can we trust anything or any institution if there is no guarantee of credibility assured by serious, independent journalistic coverage ? Who would denounce the emergence of a new cyber-scam in which people are losing their life savings ? Who would investigate corruption and other crimes when government services are slow or negligent? Who would tackle the evils of Big Tech and the risks that social networks pose to emotional, political and economic stability ? Finally, who would denounce the power of corrupt autocrats and the threat they pose to democracies ?" 

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And concludes, "Those who practice independent journalism are not immune to problems, starting with the sustainability of the activity itself. With a few exceptions, the vast majority of serious media survive on a business model that suffers from the regulatory asymmetry represented by digital platforms. Because they're based on trust, these media can't survive by abandoning ethics or making their concepts of veracity and responsibility in content distribution elastic, unlike Big Tech." This is why Rech proposes that the latter pay a "support fee"for professional journalism, "in order to purge much of the social pollution that threatens the sanity and stability of the planet."

"Everyone's eyes are riveted on elections, big events and major changes," notes Egyptian journalist Fatemah Farag. For the founder and director of Welad ElBalad Media, democracy is built above all at local level, "thanks to the work of committed journalists who go to their posts every day to give information about and for their communities is at the heart of this process." "It's not an easy job", she says : "Building, managing and sustaining local public service journalism capable of playing a vital role in supporting their societies is more often than not a thankless task. Around the world, money has dried up as journalistic activity[is] threatened by big technology companies, jobs have been cut, quality has been compromised, resources are fragmented and the value of journalism is constantly contested. [...] It seems that the people we aim to serve are increasingly disillusioned by information and disinformation campaigns, and that public distrust and avoidance are everyday realities. [...] We have experienced first-hand the dangers to democracy of losing independent, especially local, media. We now know that the survival of diverse, competent media is an essential cornerstone in this quest for humanity and freedom. [...] Examples of those who have grasped the importance of this moment are numerous: journalist-owned media for some, printing plants and products for others, community engagement for many - and that's just part of what's being done." 

"It is no longer surprising that 'factual journalism' is stigmatized as a screen for complicity with the established order, nor that the companies that make it their business are sometimes summoned to choose sides, to abandon a neutrality that, naturally, can only be factitious", decries finally Fabrice Fries, CEO of agence France-Presse : "Polarization undermines the legitimacy of these companies, and the worst thing is that this delegitimization process is already displaying undeniable results." 

The decline in trust in the media, coupled with the elimination of editorial positions, "the transformation, via artificial intelligence, of search engines into response engines 'disintermediating' the media", as well as "the pollution of the media ecosystem by AI-generated 'cheap news' sites", the"destabilization campaigns", "announcements of account deletions by the hundreds of thousands by platforms"and"disinformation that has become massive, daily" are no more surprising, he asserts. "Where we are surprised, on the other hand, is that it doesn't elicit any more reaction than this", Fries concludes: "Often, what emerges from the testimonies of journalists who have gone through all these ordeals is how alone they feel, how helpless".

En partenariat avec Display Europe, cofinancé par l'Union européenne. Les points de vue et opinions exprimés n'engagent cependant que leur(s) auteur(s) et ne reflètent pas nécessairement ceux de l'Union européenne ou de la Direction générale des réseaux de communication, du contenu et de la technologie. Ni l'Union européenne ni l'autorité subventionnaire ne peuvent en être tenues pour responsables.