World News Day: Media Must 'Join Forces' to Survive Amid 'Existential Threat'

More than 1,000 news providers worldwide have signed up to support World News Day on Monday. Which aims to promote the importance of journalism in a time of significant change. The event seeks to underscore the value of trusted journalism.

Particularly in the face of growing competition from social media and AI-powered news sources.

Branko Brkic, co-organiser of World News Day, notes that media organisations must work together to address the challenges facing the industry. He emphasises that if they fail to adapt, they risk becoming obsolete.

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According to the Reuters Institute's latest Digital News Report. Trust in news has plummeted globally, with an increasing reliance on social media and AI chatbots for news.

The report highlights the shift in online news consumption. With social media and video networks surpassing news organisations' own websites and apps as primary sources of news. However, this shift is accompanied by a decline in trust in these online platforms.

UK media regulator Ofcom has acknowledged the growing importance of traditional news sources. Officials stated that people increasingly turn to a wider range of sources for news, including YouTube and AI-powered tools.

However, Ofcom notes that traditional providers remain the most trustworthy, accurate, and impartial sources of news, despite the growing diversity of online news sources.

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Branko Brkic, founder of South AfricaIt's Daily Maverick, agrees that the media landscape has changed and that established news organisations must respond. He stresses the need for a new equilibrium, one that brings together media organisations to promote trust and accuracy.

Brkic highlights the important step of professional and reliable journalists in society. Who must engage with their audiences to explain the importance of truth and fact-based reporting. He argues that a society without a strong foundation of truth and facts is unlikely to thrive.

Brkic also emphasizes the significance of journalism as the backbone of an information-based society. Which relies on reliable news sources to function effectively.