Owen Meredith
CEO of the News Media AssociationExploring the critical need to safeguard press freedom in the digital age. CEO of the News Media Association highlights journalism’s indispensable role in democracy, calling for collective action to address growing threats and ensure the integrity of public discourse and democracy.
Journalism is a cornerstone of our society, providing us with vital information and keeping us informed of the world around us. It is essential we take a moment to recognise the invaluable role that journalism plays in our lives.
The crucial work of journalists cannot be understated – they uncover the truth and deliver important news and information. Yet, there are growing concerns surrounding the state of press freedom today. As a society, we depend on the press to keep us informed and hold those in power accountable. As citizens, it is simply not possible to do this alone. It is our responsibility to stand up for the freedom of the press and protect the vital work of journalists.
Press Freedom and Sustainability of News Media
The annual World Press Freedom Index, released by Reporters Without Borders, paints a grim picture. Twelve journalists have been killed since January, and 570 journalists and media workers are currently imprisoned. When journalists are targeted, it is not just them who suffer, but our democracy as a whole. In the UK, we stand 23rd in the index – we should be much higher.
As we look towards a general election later this year, news media will be essential in acting as the public’s watchdog, chronicler, informer, and entertainer. To create high-quality journalistic content that adheres to standards and ethics, publishers invest considerable time, money, and resources into their work.
Local news media in particular will have a critical role to play in helping people in 650 constituencies across the country understand the choices they face, which could have profound implications for our future. For local news brands to perform their role effectively, the Government must act in a way that supports and enhances both press freedom and the sustainability of news media – from council chambers to Westminster – ensuring journalists have the access they need to do their job properly, including reviewing advertising budgets to maximise the advantage of the potent and successful platforms that local news brands offer.
Furthermore, the BBC must not encroach into the online news arena. The BBC is a brilliant institution, but its struggle for relevance in the digital age is driving the BBC to make unforced errors that undermine commercial rivals. The local news space is already being effectively served by commercial local news publishers, who rely on the audiences and ad revenues associated with them. The BBC’s entry into this market with an ever-expanding online news offer will result in a detrimental impact on news brands’ sustainability and their ability to deliver quality local news coverage.
The Rise of AI: Challenges and Solutions
As AI technology continues to develop at an unprecedented rate, there are mounting worries about copyright violations and the impact of this on the creative sector, and the impact on democracy of a turbo-charged ability to generate fake news, misinformation, and disinformation and to distribute this at scale via social media platforms. Generative AI can also duplicate, alter, and circulate journalistic content, without so much as a click or a penny coming back to the original creators, posing a significant threat to publishers’ ability to sustain investment in front-line journalism.
It is essential that the intellectual property rights of news media publishers are protected, and copyright laws remain robust. Large language models powered by AI can have difficulty interpreting the world without the help of reliable journalism.
Therefore, the Government needs to adopt a balanced AI policy that includes a strong copyright framework, transparency in the use of quality journalism, and fair compensation for intellectual property owners. These measures will ensure that the use of AI technology does not undermine the rights of journalists and their work, nor pollute our society and public discourse.
It is only by safeguarding press freedom and implementing the right measures that we can ensure that our democracy remains strong and vibrant.
This is just one of the articles that features in Chamber’s ‘Out in Westminster’ section of our pre-election journal. To get access to our online version, please subscribe here.
