Tonight I attended the conference of A.G.Sulzberger, Publisher New York Times, at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at University of Oxford. This is of particular interest to me, as I have dedicated a few years of my life to building an alternative business model for newspapers.

Mr.Sulzberger shared daunting statistics at the beginning of his conference about the devastation of newspapers across America (in fact, anywhere in the world). He focused his conference on the importance of independent journalism and the challenges it faces today.

I do believe "Democracy dies in darkness" and share his views on the importance of independent journalism, specially in these challenging times. I also believe that poorly managed publishers have run themselves unprofitable and therefore dark. Unfortunately, not one word from Mr.Sulzberger or the following panel on the subject... (yet, the question on alternative business models was quickly raised from the floor as struggling publishers took the mic).

Here is my summary of what I heard tonight:

Globally, journalists face unprecedented dangers with record-high killings and imprisonments, alongside efforts to undermine their rights, affecting even nations with strong free speech traditions. These challenges are compounded by an information ecosystem dominated by tech giants and plagued by misinformation, impacting media trust, notably in the U.S., which ranks low in media trust globally.

The rise of generative AI threatens to further complicate the media landscape unless regulated to support trustworthy reporting. The essence of journalistic independence, crucial for addressing major global issues like climate change and inequality, is increasingly contested amidst growing polarization and misinformation.

Independent journalism, committed to unbiased fact-finding and diverse perspectives, faces criticism from all sides, illustrating the difficulty of reporting on contentious issues. This criticism underscores the public's preference for narratives that reinforce their beliefs, challenging journalists to maintain independence and factual reporting in an era of intense scrutiny and polarization.

In greater detail:

"News organizations have to compete in an information ecosystem that is dominated by a handful of tech giants and polluted with misinformation, conspiracy theories, propaganda and clickbait. All of which are further eroding trust in media."

"This era has made journalistic independence harder than ever and rarer than ever, and I believe more important than ever. Independence means empowering readers to understand and digest that ambiguity for themselves."

"Epidemics of misinformation and polarization are making the search for solutions evermore elusive. Overcoming those forces and bringing communities together to understand the options to make hard decisions and to take action requires trustworthy facts and mutual understanding."

"In my role as publisher of the New York Times I continued to be startled by the growing resistance to independent journalism. It left me with the unnerving realization that an increasingly self sorted and intensely polarized public is perhaps most unified in the belief that any journalist who challenges their side's narrative is getting the story wrong."

"The newest dynamic, the most difficult to navigate, is that the posture of journalistic independence is now contested by nearly every group we cover on nearly every issue we cover."

"We don't just want personalized content. We want personalized content that affirms and does not challenge our political identities (Tressie McMillan, a columnist for The NewYork Times). We're misinformed because we like the misinformation we receive and are eager for more."

"History shows that tribalism, polarization and narratives of vulnerability are a dangerous mix. In combination they stoke absolutism, snuff out tolerance, and often give rise to the demand behind so many of society's worst episodes. Are you with us or against us? More and more that question is leveled at journalists."

"Everyone wants to make the right decisions, but is not always clear as the news unfolds. Seeking to drive towards a particular right outcome, creates incentives to twist reality hyping facts that align with your case and downplaying those that don't. That approach is fundamentally at odds with journalism's responsibility to inform the public and undermines the long term trust that any news organization depends on."